Naruto: Rise of The Namikaze
by Destroyer9
Summary: After the Forbidden Scroll incident, Naruto finally decides to turn over a new leaf and make something of himself. With a new resolve and a new discovery, Naruto will show everyone what he is made of and discover the true meaning of love and hapiness. But, with enemies looming on horizon, will his resolve and determination be enough to stop them? Find out!
1. Chapter 1

Naruto: Rise of the Namikaze

Chapter 1: realizations and a special find

It was 9pm in The Hidden Leaf village of Konoha, 12 year old Naruto Uzumaki was walking home after having ramen with his sensei Iruka Umino, for the first time in his life, he was smiling because he finally became a shinobi when he had helped Iruka after being tricked into stealing the Forbidden scroll by Mizuki and when he realized it, he attempted to helped Iruka stop Mizuki, but the situation got so far out of control that an ANBU ninja had to come in to stop the chaos.

Although Mizuki had been stopped, the ANBU had suffered a fatal wound and couldn't be saved, which made Naruto wonder why he had been so easily tricked.

" Why did I always fail the exams and not make any progress? How did I allow myself to be deceived like that? " Naruto thought to himself.

He began thinking back as to why he failed and realized that it was because he never took his studies and training seriously, he also realized that he was tricked because Mizuki was one of his teachers, so as a student, Naruto was inclined to regard what Mizuki said as true.

So Naruto said softly, "Well I am a ninja now, so no one will ever be able to call me a failure, especially Sasuke and Sakura and I will become Hokage so that I can protect what is important to me. I will never allow myself to be tricked again."

Naruto Uzumaki was a boy who lived a life of loneliness, rejection, and neglect, not knowing why.

But the truth was that on October 10 at least 12 years ago, a fierce demon known as the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon or the Kyuubi No Yoko had attacked Konoha destroying hundreds of lives, but what nobody realized was that the beast was being manipulated at the time.

Unable to defeat the Nine-tails, the 4th Hokage, Minato Namikaze, knew the only way to stop the creature was to imprison it in a newborn infant, that infant happened to be Naruto.

In the process of sealing the Nine-Tails, the 4th Hokage lost his life, his last wish was for Naruto to be seen as a hero.

Sadly, his wish was not granted.

As a result of the attack, Naruto was orphaned, and to make matters worse, driven by fear and anger, the village rejected and turned their backs on Naruto viewing him as the demon itself.

Hiruzen Saratobi, who retook the mantle as the 3rd Hokage after the death of his successor, passed a law which made it illegal to speak about the Kyuubi in front of Naruto, by doing so he hoped it would give the boy some chance of fitting in.

It failed.

Because of the anger and resentment from their parents, the children began to show the same animosity towards Naruto leaving him with absolutely no friends.

Only a select few people actually welcomed him with open arms or smiled on him, including Hiruzen, Teuchi and Ayame from Ichiraku's, and Hinata Hyuga.

In a desperate attempt to get attention, Naruto resorted to mischief and started pulling pranks, which only served to put him in more trouble, eventually he decided that he would become Hokage one day to gain respect and protect those he cared for.

At the age of 10, he enrolled in the ninja academy to become a shinobi, but his progress was slow and pitiful, not to mention being looked down on by his sensei Iruka, but being the laughing stock of the whole academy.

After failing the 3rd genin exam, he was deceived by Mizuki into taking the Forbidden Scroll which contained forbidden jutsu, even though Mizuki had been stopped, Naruto was shocked to hear the reason why he was shunned.

_Back to the present..._

As Naruto walked home he started thinking about what happened during the forbidden scroll incident, not only did he now understand why so many people hated him, but he was also faced with the fact that an ANBU black ops ninja had died during the attack while trying to help Iruka stop Mizuki, which made him realize that a few of those in higher rank cared enough to help him, he also thought about the conversation he had with Iruka after the incident ...

_Flashback..._

_Iruka walked up to Naruto asking, " Are you alright Naruto? I'm sorry this happened. "_

_Naruto was really angry as he answered, " I have nothing to say to you, my so-called sensei ! You have let me down numerous times, then you save my life once and expect an apology?! Never!_

_Iruka shivered at his student's rage before he said, " I wouldn't have done so if I had known what you've been through." hoping Naruto would calm down._

_Again, Naruto shouted in fury, " Don't play dumb with me, you lying scum! You've known all along what I was dealing with and yet every chance you had to help me, you did nothing! Did you think I was stupid?! That I wouldn't remember that?! You lost your family to the Nine-Tails causing everyone to ignore you, not too different from my situation is it?! Of course you only had to put up with it for a few years, but I've been dealing with it my entire life! If you expect me to trust you after saving my life just once despite all the times you let me down, then you can go to hell for all I care! "_

_As Iruka listened, he couldn't help but feel more and more guilty realizing that Naruto was right, he had numerous chances to help the boy, all of which he neglected, he also knew that compared to his student, Iruka had it easier growing up, the memories of all those mistakes came flooding into his mind bringing tears to his eyes._

_The young chunin instructor dropped to his knees with sadness flooding his heart and tears rolling down his face as he said out loud, " I have failed you Naruto. I have failed you. I have no right to be called your sensei because all I did was put you down. I'm not asking you to forgive me, I just want you to understand. I feel so horrible for what I did to you at the academy and I understand your rightful hate. I have seen your pain, and if there was any way for me to go back and correct my mistakes, I would do it. I am so very sorry. "_

_Naruto sighed with an angry face and replied, " Why should I believe you Iruka sensei ? Everything you ever told me was a lie! There's no reason for me to trust you because of this. So why should I believe you? _

_Iruka sadly said, " Because I let this happen. I said some things I shouldn't have. like me, everyone refused to look at you or even acknowledge that you were there. There were some days when I watched you as a child, and eventually I learned something from the Third Hokage: No matter how hard you tried or pretended to be happy, deep inside you were bleeding with pain and suffering from being left out in the darkness like an outcast. I know that you're hurting Naruto and I'm deeply sorry for not helping you like I should have. No one should have to go through what you have Naruto. Your failure was my fault and you're resentment towards me is completely justified. I'm sorry Naruto. "_

_Naruto was curious about the emotional depth of Iruka's apology, wondering if a man who routinely criticized him had the conscience to feel regret._

_Finally he asked, " Do you really mean that Iruka sensei? "_

_Iruka replied with guilt, " Yes Naruto. I'm sorry, I can't describe the guilt I feel. "_

_Naruto's reaction was something he hoped that wouldn't come back to haunt him._

_Iruka was sobbing terribly with regrets when he heard Naruto say, " I forgive you Iruka sensei. "_

_He looked up in shock before asking, " Why would you want to forgive me after what I did to you Naruto? "_

_Naruto's face had a mixture of depression and determination as he answered, " Because I still intend to become Hokage, so that I can not only protect what is important to me, but to show everyone that I'm not a demon. I forgive you sensei. "_

_Iruka put a hand on Naruto's shoulder, smiled with tears and replied, " Oh, Naruto. I might've let you down, but you sure didn't let me down. But still I don't know what I can do to make up for the mistake I made. "_

_Naruto smiled and said, " I'm sure you'll think of something sensei."_

_Iruka smirked as he had an idea._

_Naruto sighed and was about to leave when Iruka shouted, " Naruto wait! "_

_He turned around and asked, " What is it sensei? "_

_Iruka answered, " I know exactly how to make it up to you Naruto. " _

_" How? " asked Naruto._

_Iruka smiled and said, " Close your eyes. "_

_15 minutes later, " Sensei, how much longer? "_

_Iruka finally said, " You can open them now. "_

_When Naruto opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was that Iruka was holding his googles and didn't have his own headband on._

_" Congratulations! You graduate! " Iruka declared as the sun came up._

_Naruto reached up to touch his head and felt a headband on his forehead realizing it was Iruka who gave it to him._

_Iruka then said, " And to celebrate, we're going out for ramen tonight! "_

_Naruto smiled with tears and said, " Thank you sensei ! "_

_That night at Ichiraku's, before Naruto left, he reminded Iruka about the ANBU who lost his life during the incident._

_Iruka replied, " He died protecting our village. Every shinobi has an obligation to defend their home village and perform their duty, for that is their ninja way Naruto. I think you should go and honor his sacrifice._

_Naruto nodded and left._

_...End flashback._

With that thought in mind Naruto decided to stop by the spot where the ANBU had died and pay his respects.

After paying his respects, when Naruto turned to leave he heard his foot hit something that made a clicking sound, looking down he saw an 8-inch long object on the ground that looked like the hilt of a sword with the ANBU symbol on it.

When he picked it up, he thought,_ " What's this? "_ as he fumbled it in his hand realizing it probably belonged to the deceased ANBU officer, then he put the object in his pocket and continued back to his apartment intending to examine it later.

A few minutes later when Naruto got home, with a new sense of resolve, he vowed not to let his sensei down.

He took off his headband, folded it and placed it on his dresser excited that he was finally a ninja, but before going to bed, he wanted to find out what he found back at the scene of the attack.

He reached into his pocket and pulled the object out, it had a very intricate design of brown and silver with 4 claw-like prongs on the top that were folded inwards.

After 5 more minutes of examining the object, he noticed a small loop of string on the back and a button on the side with small words under it which read " Slip thumb into the loop, push button and rotate backwards in hand."

So Naruto did so and what happened next was surprising because after he followed the instructions, the object in his hand had turned into a sword at least 24 inches long with an amazingly strong blade, plus the prongs were now folded out and arranged in the shape of a claw.

"Wow this is cool! " Naruto said excitedly.

After closing the weapon, Naruto went to bed deciding tomorrow would be a brand new day, with his new sword and resolve he would make his dreams come true no matter what.

So Naruto spent the next month studying ninjitsu, kenjutsu, taijutsu, and chakra control all at once in preparation for the final test where he would be added to a team and asked Saratobi to buy him some new clothes so that people would take him seriously to which the old man heartedly agreed, everyone thought Naruto had failed and dropped out, but they would be surprised soon enough.

" Look out everyone cause here comes the new me!" Naruto vowed.

End of chapter 1

Note: the sword that Naruto is using is based off the one used by Corvo Attano in the game Dishonored.

I chose that sword because I thought it would look cool.

PS: I don't know much about naruto but I am a fan of Naruto & Hinata which will be the main pairing in this story. If anyone can give me information on the basis of the series I would really appreciate it.

PS. for anyone who thinks i went to far with the Iruka bashing, listen up... to a certain extent, Iruka was neglectful in helping Naruto. An issue which i felt needed to be addressed. There will be no more Iruka bashing in this story because i think he has learned his lesson.

Note: I don't own naruto or Dishonored, this is just my imagination.

Oh, and by the way, those who comment with foul words will be ignored or blocked, anyone who explains their dislikes with politeness, I will address them.

So until next time, have a good day!


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto: Rise of The Namikaze

Chapter 2: A new friend and a new team

It was a brand new day in Konoha for Naruto as he walked to the academy determined to change things today.

Instead of his traditional orange jumpsuit, he now wore a set of black ninja sandals with foot coverings, black cargo pants, a black turtleneck sweater, and a long black cloak made of nylon and cotton which hung a few inches above his ankles.

As he made his way to the academy, he ran into Konohamaru who challenged him to a fight.

Naruto replied, " Sorry, I've got an orientation. "

" Orientation? " asked Konohamaru in a state of shock.

" That's right. As of today I'm a ninja, believe it! " he said pointing at his headband.

Konohamaru was stunned at seeing the headband.

Naruto snickered and continued towards the academy.

With his equipment buried in his pockets, Naruto arrived at the academy 5 minutes early and walked to class.

When Naruto entered the room he found a few students already there including Kiba, Shikamaru, Sasuke, Ino, Sakura, and Hinata, at first he thought about going straight to Sakura, but he remembered that she was not someone who liked him at all, also he thought about a certain moment he had with Hinata 3 months before the third genin exam,

_Flashback..._

_Naruto was sitting atop Hokage mountain feeling depressed at how he was the laughing stock of the academy because of his failure to make a perfect clone._

_He said out loud in a sad voice, " Why does everyone think so less of me?! Is there no one who likes me at all?!_

_Then he began to tear up._

_As he sat there crying, he heard a voice say, " I'm so sorry Naruto."_

_Naruto turned to look and there was Hinata Hyuga looking at him with a look of sympathy on her face._

_The young Uzumaki was surprised before saying, " Hinata? What are you doing here? "_

_Hinata answered, " It is absolutely horrible around here, how they're so cruel to you Naruto. You haven't done anything to be treated like this! I'm feel so sorry for you Naruto._

_Naruto was stunned, here was someone who actually felt sorry for him because of what he went through and cared about him!_

_Finally he answered, " Do you really mean that Hinata? "_

_Hinata smiled, " Really Naruto. Those people see you as trash, but I see you as Naruto Uzumaki of Konoha, a boy who refuses to give up no matter what the struggle. Just know Naruto, if you ever feel down, don't be afraid to talk to me about it._

_Naruto smiled with happy tears and replied, " Thank you for that vote of confidence Hinata. " as he shook her hand making her blush."_

_Hinata said, " S-sure, anytime Naruto." as she left._

_...end flashback._

Then he thought, " Now that I think about it, Sakura has always been mean and selfish to me all because of her love for Sasuke, so why should I even try to get her attention? I'll sit with someone who does see my true worth like Hinata, afterall she has never thought less of me so hopefully we can be friends. "

So with that thought in mind, Naruto walked straight over to Hinata and said " Hey Hinata, mind if I sit next to you?"

Hinata blushed and thought to herself, "_Naruto wants to sit with me? Wow! I never thought he would sit with me, hopefully we can pass together!" _

Then she said, " S-s-sure Naruto."

"Thanks Hinata." replied Naruto

As they waited for Iruka to arrive a lot of students were staring at Naruto because of his new clothes and stoic attitude, when Naruto noticed he asked " What are looking at me for?"

Shikimaru then said " Naruto only those who pass can be here. so what is a dropout like you doing here?"

Naruto pointed to his forehead and said " In case you weren't paying attention I'm wearing a regulation headband Shikimaru, so don't call me a dropout again because I'm not quiting."

Hinata was overjoyed at hearing that and thought, _" Naruto! You graduated after all! I'm glad."_

Then Kiba asked " Naruto what's with those clothes? I mean they look badass."

Naruto answered, " Let's just say I've had a change of heart and decided to my ninja traning more seriously Kiba."

Upon hearing this, Sakura shouted, " Naruto you will never learn to be a real ninja so stop with all that bold nonsense and stop trying to look cool like Sasuke you idiot!"

Everyone expected Naruto to lose his temper but surprisingly he remained calm and replied in a cold emotionless voice, "Sakura I'm not intimidated by your threats plus I know you are the weakest ninja in the entire academy, so maybe if you would spend more time training and less time fawning over Sasuke, you might actually amount to something huh? "

The coldness in Naruto's voice sent shivers down a lot of students especially Ino.

Sakura was infuriated by that and ran at him yelling, " You will pay for that you idiot! " making the whole class cringe.

She got within 4 feet of him, but before she could hit him, she was stopped dead in her tracks as Naruto sprang out his sword and pointed it at her with the blade just inches from her throat.

Sakura shivered in fear while the entire class looked in shock, even Sasuke who thought, " What the hell?! Where did he get that sword ? "

Naruto looked on with a serious expression on his face and replied, " Your big mouth is really starting to annoy me Sakura. If you talk to me like that again, then maybe I should make your big mouth a little bigger huh?! Now shut up, sit down, and leave me alone now! "

Sakura nodded with fear and returned to her seat upon which Naruto asked, " Anybody else want to piss me off ? "

The whole class scooted away from him and put up their hands in a gesture of surrender, which caused him to snicker and say, " That's what I thought. "

He walked back up to Hinata and was about to put away his sword when he heard a voice yell, " Hey dobe! "

Naruto turned around to see Sasuke who said with pride, " As the future head of the Uchiha clan, I demand that you hand over that sword to me at once. "

Naruto held up the blade and retorted, " Over my dead body! Sasuke, if I have to put up with your snotty-ass mouth anymore, I won't hesitate to end your career as a ninja! Do you understand?!"

As much as Sakura wanted to help her crush, she was still too afraid to do anything, even the others were still stunned as Sasuke huffed and returned to his seat.

Naruto retracted his sword, locked it, and placed in a nylon sheath attached to his waist, ( The sword was encased in the sheath when he found it ) then he sat down with Hinata and replied worriedly, " Sorry if I scared you Hinata, but she was trying to attack me and I had to defend myself. "

Hinata sighed with relief and answered, " I-it's o-okay N-naruto. I probably would have done the same thing. "

Naruto smiled then reached out with his left hand and gave her a pat on the back saying, " Thanks Hinata. " causing her to smile and blush again.

Just then Iruka arrived and class began during which he began talking about X-factors involved in being a ninja, Naruto listened intently to everything making sure he didn't miss a thing, at one point Naruto raised his hand to say something.

Iruka noticed and said, " Yes Naruto?"

Naruto stood up and replied, " Sensei one thing I should mention since we're talking about combat is domination in the fight, if you can end the fight with one blow it's vain because as the old saying goes it's vain to do with more than what can be done with less, if I can do it with one clear shot, end that guy, drop that guy, move on to the next guy , no doubt it's all about domination in that battle space."

Iruka was stunned at Naruto's input as was the rest of the class, Iruka then answered, " Great point Naruto and domination is a critical X-factor, excellent observation!"

In the end Naruto scored the highest of the boys and Hinata the highest of the girls allowing both of them to make to the team lists, afterward Iruka announced that in two days teams would be chosen so the students went home to prepare.

Over the next two days Naruto and Hinata spent their time training and playing together having a great fun time and eventually became best friends.

Hiashi, hinata's father heard about it and said, " Hinata I will say that I approve of your friendship with Naruto but remember to take your training seriously." Hinata repiled, "I w-w-will father."

Two days later it was time for teams to be chosen, Naruto held his breath as the list was read then finally Iruka announced, "Team 7 will be, Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Naruto Uzumaki! "

Naruto was disappointed and upset but he kept his composure and said to Hinata, " Don't worry we can still spend time together when we're not on missions."

Hinata softly replied, " O-okay Naruto."

Afterward Iruka announced that team seven's sensei would be Kakashi Hatake.

Naruto thought to himself, "_Oh great! of all people why does it have to be Kakashi__ ? Rumor has it he has a reputation for being late. I really hope he doesn't become a liability."_

Then Iruka said, " Tomorrow will be your official team test so rest up and prepare because if you pass you will get your first mission."

Later that afternoon when class ended Naruto went to Ichiraku' s Ramen for dinner and ordered 1 bowl of miso ramen.

When he was done he thanked Ayame and Teuchi, payed the money and went home hoping he and his team would learn to coperate together. " _I really hope we can work together otherwise we won't pass, but regardless I won't let anything stop me from becoming hokage." _and with that Naruto fell asleep resting for the next day to come.

The next morning when he woke up, Naruto remembered his conversation last night with the kyuubi,

_Flashback... _

_In his dream naruto visited the nine-tailed fox hoping to learn why it was sealed inside of him. _

_So Naruto asked, " fox is there a reason why they sealed you away inside me ? It's all because of you that i have to deal with hatred from the village everyday and that my parents are gone ! " _

_Then the kyuubi said sadly " Look kid, i'm sorry for what you've went through because of me and the reason they sealed me in you was because i attacked konoha 12 years ago." _

_Then Naruto asked, "Why?" _

_The fox answered, " It's not like i intended to do it, i was being manipulated by this power-hungry psyhco who said if i didn't obey he would destroy my family, i agreed but in the end it was a trick, he slaugtered my mate and my kits and forced me to attack innocent people, i can't even begin to tell you how guilty i feel about this. so please you have to understand me Naruto, i never wanted to kill all those innocent people." _

_Naruto thought for a moment then replied, " Fox, i believe you and i can see that you're telling me the truth, i'm sure you don't trust me because i don't even trust myself, but i'm willing to work with you if you're willing to work with me and together we will find the one who ruined our lives and deliver justice!" _

_The Kyuubi lifted his head and asked happily, " are you serious kid because i have waited for a chance to attone for my wrongs so you really want me to work with you like a friend ? _

_Naruto smiled and said while holding out his hand, "Of couse my friend, so how about it , are we partners? "_

_The Kyuubi placed his paw on Naruto's hand, smiled and said," Partners." _

_End flashback. _

Naruto smiled and said to himself, " Don't worry buddy, we will show them your good, thats a promise."

And with that Naruto made his way to the training grounds to face his first step to achieving his dream.

End of chapter 2

note: i have read hundreds of stories where the kyuubi is just a big vicious demon that is downright evil and has no feelings and truth be told it gave me an idea like,

what if he's not an evil demon?

what if he was being manipulated during the attack on konoha?

What if he had a family that was destroyed by the akatsuki ?

what if he and naruto actually shared a bond like in yugioh?

so i intend to revamp the kyuubi so as to give the story a exciting twist.

PS: I got the idea for x-factors from one of my favorite tv shows: Deadliest warrior.

Note: I don't own Deadliest warrior, this is just my imagination.

Until next time see ya!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: final test, a new guardian.

It was 10:30 AM at training ground 7 in Konoha, Sasuke sat with his arms crossed waiting for Kakashi to show up since he was already two hours late, Sakura sat staring at Sasuke having daydreams about him while Naruto sat under a tree meditating keeping in touch with the Kyuubi all the while thinking, "_What is taking so long ? Sensei should have been here 2 hours ago!" _

Sensing the boys stress the fox replied, " Don't worry, I'm sure that slacker will get here soon, then we can show him what happens when your late for something important ." Naruto smiled in agreement and continued his meditation.

Meanwhile Sakura looked over at Naruto and spoke up in a very irritated voice, " I still can't believe Iruka put this dork of a ninja on our team, the only he 'll do is slow us down! "

Naruto stood up and said calmly, " Sakura, the only thing that will slow us down is your arrogance, whether you like it or not we are on the same team, the only reason I tolorrate you is because of sensei's orders, so why don't you shut up, watch your mouth, and learn to show respect for your team members?" then Naruto resumed meditating.

5 minutes later Kakashi finally arrived and said that to pass the test, all the team had to do was retrieve a set of bells from him before noon.

But before that he asked them to introduce themselves.

Sasuke spoke first, "My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I like nothing except fighting. I hate many things, including people who don't know their place and low rank missions. My goal is to kill a certain someone and to restore my clan ."

Sakura spoke next, "My name is Sakura Haruno. I like training, reading, and gardening. I hate twerps that act like their tough, people who treat me like a kid and rivals like Ino. My goal in life is to become a great kunoichi and to get the attention of a certain someone."

Finally it was Naruto's turn, "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. My likes are ramen, training, meditating and spending time with my friends. I hate people who think their better than everyone else, people who waste time fawning over something ridiculous instead of focusing on whats important, I hate anyone who dishonors Konoha and I hate those who judge others before they get to know them. My goal in life is to become hokage so that I can protect what is important to me."

Kakashi was stunned at what Naruto had said about himself because that meant someone who took being a ninja very seriously.

Then it was time to begin the test.

Naruto came up with a plan to outwit Kakashi easily by acting as a distraction while Sasuke and Sakura got the bells, but they refused before he even said anything, and went of in different directions to plan their own moves.

Kakashi laughed as Naruto started fighting him, then in a matter of moments he had Kakashi pinned on ground with a kunai against his throat.

But it was a trick, Kakashi swung his leg up and kicked Naruto in his back knocking him away.

Then Sasuke and Sakura jumped in attempting to remove the bells and complete the challenge, but Kakashi leapt up and knocked both Sasuke and Sakura aside laughing.

Sasuke said, " I'll do this myself! " then he ran off.

Sakura agreed and went in the opposite direction from Sasuke.

Naruto hid in the trees to think for a moment and asked the Kyuubi , " Partner, do you really think we can do this, 3 genin against a jonin? "

The Nine-tails replied, " The only way to pass this test is if you work together, but the others don't see it that way. So I suggest staying hidden for a while, let the others make a fool of themselves, then tell them the meaning of teamwork. "

Naruto pondered for a moment before saying with a sneaky grin, " Alright, let's see how they fare on their own. "

_3 hours later..._

As Naruto watched from the shadows, the results were just as he expected, Sasuke tried hard to bring down Kakashi while Sakura did nothing but watch and fawn over Sasuke from a distance which caused them to fall for everyone of his traps resulting in both of them being viewed as failures.

At a set of posts, Sasuke and Sakura were on the ground as Kakashi said, " Well, there's no reason for you to return to the academy."

Both of them were shouting in celebration, but their hopes were dashed when he replied, " Instead, you should quit being a ninja! "

As they were protesting, Kakashi stated, " It's because you 3 aren't fit to be ninja. Sasuke, you look at your teammates as a burden and act on your own. You Sakura, have little to no regard as far as taking affirmative action and acting on your own. As for Naruto, I'm afraid he's even worse, refusing to help his teammates and allowing them to fail. None of you can work together. I don't know how to say how disappointed I am in all of you. "

Sakura started to protest again when she heard a voice say, " Tut tut sensei, how can it be? you have so little faith in me. "

Kakashi knew that voice.

Flying out of the shadows, Naruto jumped off a tree branch and landed gracefully on one of the posts with a smile on his face.

Before His sensei could say a word, Naruto interrupted, " You can stop the excuses Kakashi sensei, i know what you're up to. I was here the whole time and saw everything. Sakura and Sasuke should quit, but not me. "

Sasuke was enraged and shouted, " If we get the bells, we can pass! You should quit dobe because you're no use to anyone!"

Naruto just chuckled and said calmly, " Don't you get it Sasuke? It was never about the bells. "

The others were stunned at this and Kakashi looked somewhat taken aback by this as Naruto continued, " Everything sensei said proves my point, this test wasn't about bells or fighting! It was designed to teach us the value of teamwork. I watched you all to see how you'd fare on your own, then decided that when the time was right, I would make my move and reveal the true nature of the test. Now was the time."

Sakura yelled, " Even if that was the case, it still doesn't mean your better than Sasuke because he is a Uchiha and your still a worthless stick in the mud you idiot!"

Upon hearing this Naruto was on the verge of losing his temper, so in an act of desperation he spoke to the fox and said, " Fox, I ask you now to please talk me out of setting you loose on them because I really don't want them hurt."

The Kyuubi spoke calmly, " Don't worry young one I will not hurt them unless I have to. So let me teach them a little lesson partner."

Naruto smiled then turned to Sakura and said, " After all that I'm still the one who's an idiot?"

Sasuke replied, "Yes dobe, you're still dead last."

Naruto glared and said, " Well guess what Sasuke? My partner, the Kyuubi thinks otherwise so let 's find out what he has to say shall we ?"

Then Naruto's eyes turned bright red , seconds later the spirit form of the nine-tails appeared behind Naruto and looked right at Sasuke sending a wave of terror down the young uchiha's spine.

Then in a deep powerful voice the fox said, " Listen to me you worthless pile of excrement! Your ego is rather annoying and is really starting to piss me off! Naruto has better judgement and better devotion for his team! Furthermore, this whole superiority attitude problem of yours is another danger to your team because potentially, it might contribute to the death of a team member! So mark my words boy and mark them well, anyone who dares to harm Naruto will suffer my wrath you little punk, is that clear?!"

Sasuke nodded with fear in his eyes.

Then the Kyuubi turned to Sakura and replied," As for you young lady your complete lack of manners is equally dispicable! Didn't your mother ever teach you respect ? Obviously not! So you better start learning how to respect other people's feelings, if not then you are indeed a pitiful excuse for a kunoichi and a bad example for your team! The way you sit there daydreaming and neglecting your training makes my point even more clear! And if you ask me, that giant forehead of yours is so huge, I could fit my entire head in there! Do not make me repeat my self again, Is that clear?!"

Sakura nodded terrified.

Finally the Kyuubi turned to Kakashi and shouted, " As for you, you lazy excuse for a jonin! If you continue to show up late like this, then you are bordering on insubordination, because each time you show up late, the team is late and the job doesn't get done which constitutes a failure to perform your duty! "

Then the fox vanished and Naruto's eyes returned to normal then he said, " Maybe I'm not so stupid, am I ?"

Kakashi replied uneasily, " Your even more intelligent than I thought Naruto." then he thought, _" And to think that he and the Nine-tails are working together... I have a bad feeling about this. The seal may have weakened, I should warn the Hokage about it. "_

Then he asked Sasuke and Sakura to apologize to Naruto and said they should actually start working to become better and learn to work together.

Sasuke replied, " I'm sorry for the way I acted Naruto, I let my ego get the better of me so I think we should learn to work together as a team."

But Sakura said nothing and looked away she was still thinking about what the kyuubi said and thought, "_Maybe I was too arrogant for my own good , perhaps I should think before I talk from now on but I still think Sasuke is better than Naruto and nothing will make me think otherwise." _then finally she replied, " As much as I regret saying this Naruto, I was foolish and irresponsible. I understand now that as a team, we must learn to help each other. "

Upon hearing this, Kakashi announced, " Now that you all understand what teamwork is... congratulations! You all pass! " which they all started celebrating.

As the group made their way back to the village, Kakashi warned them not to talk about what happened during the test, after meeting with the hokage, team 7 was given their first mission which would start tomorrow.

Once the team was dismissed, Kakashi said, " Lord Hokage sir, I have to inform about a unusual development that occured during my team's placement test that's caused me considerable concern. "

Saratobi asked, " What kind of development Kakashi? "

Kakashi explained how Naruto summoned the Nine-Tails and how it began criticizing the others for their stupidity as well as threatining to harm Naruto would suffer the fox's wrath, he also explained about his feelings that the seal might have weakened.

Hearing that made Hiruzen feel uneasy as he said, " I'll take a look at it Kakashi, but the way you said it makes me think that maybe the fox is guarding the young boy. But don't worry Kakashi, I'll check it out. "

The jonin nodded and left.

Saratobi paid a visit to Naruto and asked the boy to let him examine the seal holding the fox at bay to which casually agreed.

After focusing his chakra, the Third Hokage made the seal visible and saw there no signs of weakining anywhere giving him a sigh of relief as Naruto explained the Kyuubi's true nature as his guardian.

Hiruzen nodded and left intending to inform Kakashi later.

Naruto was excited to finally get a chance to show what he was made of, so after dinner he went to sleep with a sense of hope in his eyes that with his team and the fox protecting him, he reach his dream soon enough and with that he fell happily asleep.

End of chapter 3

Note: for those of you who are wondering why Naruto didn't use his sword, I intended to have him use it during the fight with Zabuza so that the action will be better. Also Naruto has gained a few new abilities from the kyuubi which will be revealed in later chapters, plus I will include Hinata in the next chapter. So until next, see ya later

note: i intend to follow the story as much as possible, and yes Sasuke will defect and go to the dark side later on


	4. Aurthors note

Author's note:

I have a few things that I would like to clarify for my viewers,

First off: will sasuke turn to the dark side? Yes

Second: will sasuke get retrieved ? Right now It's too early to say but I'm thinking about about it.

Third: will sasuke be weaker than naruto because of his new abilities ? Not really, I have no intention of making naruto godlike, I intend to make his power believable.

Fourth: will naruto gain more abilities in the story ? Yes, and those abilities will be featured in later chapters.

Fifth: will I change anything else ? There will be a few changes here and there but I intend to follow the story as much as possible.

Sixth: will I make longer chapters ? There will be some parts that I have to skip in this story to shorten it but yes there will be longer chapters in the future.

Have a good day y'all.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Hinata learns the truth about Naruto.

Note: there will be some changes in this chapter but plenty of interaction and explanations, also I don't like long it took for Hinata to confess her love to Naruto so I will have her confess a lot sooner than in the story, so let's get this show on the road.

Today was the day team 7 was to embark on their mission, their objective was to assist in the protection of a man named Tazuna while he and his men worked to complete a bridge to connect the Land of Waves to the mainland, Tazuna stated that a guy named Gato and his bandits were trying to stop the bridge's completion which would cripple the land's economic growth, so Tazuna hired Team 7 to end this tension.

Before team 7's departure Hiruzen Sarutobi, the third hokage decided they might need some backup so he called Kurenai Yuhi into his office to discuss sending her team to assist Kakashi.

As soon as Kurenai was seated Hiruzen spoke, " Thank you for coming so soon Kurenai, the reason I have called you here is because I am thinking about sending your team to the land of waves to assist Kakashi and team 7 on a very important mission."

Kurenai asked, " One thing I don't understand sir, why didn't you place Naruto on a team where he can actually bond with his teamates? "

The third hokage answered, " Because I thought it would cause to much distraction being with all his friends at the same time and besides he needs to learn to work with every ninja at the academy otherwise the Konaha 11 might fall into disarray. "

Kurenai replied, " Sir I don't think you understand, disarray is one thing, friendship is another because if there is no friendship the team itself falls apart then disarray follows, so I strongly suggest you make a few team changes, but nontheless I will take team 8 to assist Kakashi. "

The third replied, " Perhaps you're right Kurenai. I will think about reassigning some team members."

And with that Kurenai left and gathered her team and announced, " Team 8 today we have been assigned to something very important, our mission is to assist team 7 in the land of waves. "

Hinata was excited and thought while blushing, "_Th__at means I get to see naruto again and have fun with him, I am so excited! "_

Meanwhile as Team 7 prepared to leave the village Kakashi heard a voice yelling, " Kakashi wait! Stop! "

He turned and said, " Mistress Kurenai, what are you doing here? "

The genjutsu mistress answered, " The old man thought you might need help so he assigned us to assist you. "

Naruto noticed Hinata and Kiba and ran over to say hello to his friends, " Hey Kiba what's up? "

The dog-loving Inuzuka replied, " Not much, but it's great to be together again as ninjas. "

Then Naruto turned to Hinata who again failed to stop blushing as she looked at him, then Naruto said, " It's great to see you again Hinata. "

Hinata answered, " S-same here N-naruto. "

And with that the two teams set off to The Land of Waves, during their journey Kakashi noticed Naruto, Hinata, and Kiba laughing and joking with each other and having a fun time, all the while thinking, "_ Those kids seem to get along just fine, I'm starting to think that maybe the team placements should have been different ." _

At the same time Sakura was still unsure if wether or not she could learn to work with Naruto after what happened the other day.

The same was happening with Sasuke as he was thinking what to do as well, then Sakura spoke and said, " Sasuke, you said before your goal was to kill someone and restore your clan, who is it your trying to kill ? "

Sasuke answered, " My brother Itachi, one night he killed every single member of my family in cold blood and left saying that I wasn't worth killing since then I have vowed to avenge my clan. "

Naruto replied, " I understand your feelings Sasuke, but you need to realize that not everyone gets a fair chance in life, I know you may not have been on good terms with your family but maybe someone forced your brother to do that, so maybe you should try and find the truth, Huh? "

Sasuke responded, " You don't know what you're talking about Naruto, you have no idea what it's like to see your whole family killed in front of you and be the only one left!

Naruto shook his head and spoke, " Believe what you want Sasuke but remember sometimes things are not that simple, I may not know what it's like to see your family murdered, but I know what it's like to live without one. "

Sakura's eyes widened causing her to say, What do you mean Naruto? "

Naruto's response was, " Imagine if when you were a kid and every night and day you were faced with hatred, torment, and abuse from everyone around you not understanding why and having absolutely no one by your side to offer any kind of help or love and having to feed and look out for yourself everyday, do any of you know what that's like, huh? "

Sasuke was stunned, Sakura was at a loss for words while Hinata was feeling heartbroken at what Naruto had to deal with as a child, everyone even Kurenai couldn't believe how hard Naruto's life had been.

The hardships that Naruto described made it clear that everyone else to some degree had it way more easier than he did which gave Sakura and all the others even Kiba a better sense of respect for Naruto.

Kiba then asked, " Naruto, after all that how did you even live through that mess? "

Naruto sighed and said, " Even now at this point Kiba, I really don't know. "

So then everyone even Sasuke dicided to put their pride aside an help their friend what ever happens, and honor their ninja way.

Later that night, after Kiba pulled a hilarious prank on Shino, everyone had gone to bed except Naruto and Hinata, Hinata was still wondering why so many people hated Naruto and wanted to find out, so she walked over and asked, " N-Naruto, can you explain to me why so many people despised you ? "

Naruto replied, " No Hinata, but I can show you. "

Naruto stood up, walked over to Hinata and spoke, " Place your hand on mine and focus your chakra then it will allow you to see into my mind, then the anwser will be revealed."

Hinata hesitated but did as Naruto instructed and before she knew it, she found herself in Naruto's mind and said, " So this is Naruto's mind, but what is he trying to tell me? "

Then she heard Naruto's voice say, " Hinata, don't be afraid, you'll be fine, but the anwser to your question is in that door to your left. "

Hinata turned and saw a large door that looked a very strong escape-proof door designed to stop whatever was in from coming out, then she asked, " N-naruto, what's behind that door? "

The young Uzumaki replied, " Hang for just a moment and I'll open it. "

And with that in a matter of moments the door opened and Hinata saw nothing but darkness but then the room lit up and a huge red figure emerged looking very fierce.

Hinata was scared and screamed, " Naruto, I 'm terrified, please let me out of here! "

Naruto replied, " Don't worry Hinata, you have nothing to be afraid of, say hello to my partner. Hey fox I have someone I want you to meet. "

The Kyuubi looked down at Hinata and spoke in a calm but powerful voice, " A visitor I see. Welcome young lady, you must be Hinata Hyuga who Naruto has told me so much about, and just so you know I am the reason why Naruto's life has been so hard. I am the Kyuubi. "

Hinata moved slowly forward still a little scared at what she was seeing, the nine-tails sensed her fear and replied, " Don't be frightened young one, I won't hurt you, because doing so would only hurt others, so let me tell you why I am here. "

Then the kyuubi went on to explain why he was sealed inside of Naruto and why his life had been so difficult.

Then back in the real world Naruto removed his hand from Hinata and she was stunned at what she had heard and said, " N-naruto I never realized you had such a burden on your shoulders and how bad it hurts to bear it alone. "

Naruto responded, " That's alright Hinata, because now I don't have to bear it alone anymore, with you at my side and all my friends helping me we can bring peace to our home, so are you with me Hinata? "

Hinata replied, " I will always be at your side Naruto. " and with that Naruto thanked her and the two went to sleep as Hinata thought, "_ I understand Naruto now more then I did before, it makes me love now more than ever, I will tell him someday, when the time is right. "_

At the same time Naruto thought, "_ Wow, even after what she saw she still sees me as a good person, I think I might actually seem to love her, I just hope she thinks the same about me. "_

And with that the two friends fell asleep next to each other dreaming of all the happy times they played together.

End of chapter 4.

Note: The prank will be explained in Chapter 16.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Battle at the bridge, Naruto vs. Zabuza

Note: In this chapter one of Naruto's new abilities will be featured in battle and it's very deceptive and lethal, also after doing my research on what happened to Zabuza, I decided that he and Haku shall live so that he can have a chance to attone for his mistakes. so let's get this show on the road!

After 3 days of traveling Naruto and the others finally reached The Land of Waves, but during the trip, the group was attacked by two chunins which were easily dispatched by Naruto and Sasuke, but the attack left Kakashi suspicious, so they went to the rendezvous point and met up with Tazuna, after explaining the situation to everyone Kakashi decided that team 7 would lead from the front and team 8 would stand by for backup, afterward the group followed Tazuna toward his home.

Suddenly Kakashi shouted, " Get down! " as a huge sword spun past them and collided with a tree, then a missing-nin named Zabuza Momichi landed on it's handle intent on killing Tazuna, Kakashi recognizing Zabuza as a formidable opponent activated his Sharingan and ran into battle.

By the time the battle ended Kakashi managed to overpower Zabuza after Naruto and Sasuke freed him from Zabuza's Water Prison Technique, but before he could deliever the final blow a hunter-nin who was secretly Zabuza's apprentice Haku dragged Zabuza away saying his mission was to kill him.

Kakashi satisfied with his work told the others to continue to Tazuna's home only to collapse from his wounds and chakra exhuastion, after which he was taken to Tazuna's home to recover, however he wassuspicious about the events surrounding Zabuza's apparent death, at the same time elsewhere Haku secretly healed Zabuza after which the mighty swordsman vow to kill Kakashi the next time they met.

When they arrived at Tazuna's house they met Tazuna's grandson a boy named Inari who at dinner described his difficult past as well as the situation with Gato believing there was no such thing as a hero, Naruto determined to prove him wrong went and asked Kakashi and Kurenai if he and Hinata could go and do some extra training, the two jonin agreed then took their own teams for some training.

After heading into woods Naruto began teaching Hinata tree jumping and chakra control, the exercise went on for at least 3 hours before Hinata reached her limit and felt tired so Naruto let her rest and decided to take a nap, but before that he met who he thought was a girl not knowing it was actually Haku , the two discussed their biggest dreams at which Naruto said the biggest strength comes from protecting someone precious to you which Haku agreed and disappeared leaving Naruto confused.

After that Naruto continued his training for another 2 hours before passing out from exhaustion, Inari after he saw Naruto in that tired state started crying and yelling that it was a waste of time, but Naruto simply retorted, " I will win, believe it. "

Kakashi later told Inari about the hard life Naruto had lived without a family which touched the young boy a great deal knowing there was someone else who felt the same pain as he did.

2 days later leaving Naruto to rest, the teams escorted Tazuna to work at the bridge only to find the workers attacked then a shroud of mist enveloped them, then Zabuza and Haku appeared confirming Kakashi's suspicions, back at Inari's house a group of Gato's thugs attempted to kidnap the boy's mother, Inari tried in vain to stop them but failed miserably, but just before he was cut down Naruto appeared just in time and cut down both bandits, after congratulating Inari on his courage Naruto raced off to join the others.

Meanwhile at the bridge, Kiba, Sasuke, and Hinata were fighting Haku while Kakashi and Kurenai were struggling against Zabuza, Shino and Sakura were instructed to guard Tazuna, even with her Byakugan at full power Hinata was still having trouble with Haku's kekkei genkai so they tried to destroy the ice mirrors but failed allowing Haku to trap them in ice cages, then he proceded to attack them all with senbon barrages, Hinata thought hopefully, "_Naruto, please hurry! We won't last much longer! " _

Then out of nowhere Naruto appeared and struck Haku in his shoulder with a knifehand thus freeing his friends, then he swiftly kicked Haku in the back as he attempted to punch Naruto in the throat, then Naruto grabbed him with both arms and held him tightly shouting, " Guys, do it now! " and with that despite their own superficial wounds, Sasuke ran forward focusing his own Sharingan and delivered a swift dragon punch to Haku in the head, then Hinata came and struck Haku in stomach with the full force of her Gentle-Fist Style, then Kiba using his Four-Legs Technique sent a barrage of punches at Haku, striking him in the shoulders and chest effectively knocking him out, then as Haku fell unconscious Naruto said, " Kiba, Sasuke, tie him up and make sure he does not get away. " both boys nodded,

Then Naruto looked at Hinata and replied, " Hinata, you come with me, I might need your help. "

Hinata answered, " Right Naruto! " and with that as Sasuke and Kiba tied up Haku, Naruto and Hinata ran to help Kakashi and Kurenai,

but exhausted from chakra depletion and blood loss Sasuke fell unconscious just as they finished tying up Haku, Kiba ran over and checked him out but since Sasuke's pulse and heartbeat couldn't be felt because of his chakra loss, Kiba panicked thinking Sasuke was dead and thought,_ " Sakura is not going to like this." _

At the same time Haku came too and begged Kiba to kill him saying his defeat was his failure to Zabuza, but Kiba replied, " Naruto will decide your fate when he returns. " afterward Kiba summoned a clone and told it to give Sakura the news about what happened, when she heard about Sasuke's apparent death Sakura ran to his side and cried at the same time breaking a very important shinobi rule.

At the bridge Zabuza had both Kakashi and Kurenai on the ropes, even with her genjutsu skills Kurenai wasn't able to stand up against Zabuza's giant sword and because of his injuries Kakashi was getting weaker.

Then as Zabuza closed in he raised his sword saying, " it's time to finish this! " both closed their eyes waiting for the inevitable.

Suddenly the heard Zabuza scream, they opened their eyes and saw a kunai stuck in his arm, turning around they saw Naruto and Hinata running up shouting, " Sensei! You guys alright? "

Kakashi answered, " I think so but we can't fight anymore! "

Kurenai replied, " I've exhausted so much chakra I can barely move! "

Naruto looked ahead and saw Zabuza prepairing for his next attack, so Naruto said, " Hinata, stay with them and let me deal with him!

Hinata protested, " But Naruto you don't stand a chance! "

Kakashi and Kurenai both shouted the same thing, but Naruto just shouted, " Just stay put! I'll handle this! "

And with that, Naruto took off his cloak and threw it to the ground, then he pulled out his sword, released the blade, then ran into battle, Hinata smirked while the others were stunned when they noticed Naruto activate his sword thinking, _" Where did he get that sword? "_

And so began the fierce battle between Naruto and Zabuza, the young boy leaped forward as Zabuza charged forward intent on killing Naruto.

Zabuza swung his sword down with all his might but Naruto saw the attack coming and blocked with his own sword, at the same time he spoke to the Kyuubi saying, " Partner this fight will not be easy, the mist hides his presence and cloaks his movements, I might need your help to fight him. "

The Kyuubi answered, " I can help you there, all I have to do is infuse a little of my power with you and it will give you the same enhanced sight, smell, and hearing as me, so you should be able to predict where his attacks are coming from. "

Naruto nodded and let fox do his work, and with that Naruto's senses were enhanced to superhuman levels then as Zabuza charged from the right he swung his sword horizontally but Naruto sensed the attack, blocked it, and fought back striking Zabuza in the hip.

Meanwhile as the others watched Kurenai asked, " What's going on here ? It's like Naruto is predicting his opponent's moves before they even come! "

Kakashi answered, " That's because he has someone helping him, I mean can you sense the amount of chakra he's using ? "

Kurenai sensing Naruto's aura realized, _" This can only mean one thing, he's drawing on the power of the Nine-Tails! " _then she made a mental note to ask Naruto about it.

As Hinata looked on she thought, _" The fox must be helping Naruto, please Kyuubi, help Naruto win, he just has to! " _

While Zabuza was big, fierce, and brutal, Naruto proved to be more agile and more cunning, he blocked a downward strike from Zabuza, then spun around and slashed him in the leg causing Zabuza to scream.

Then the young boy jumped backwards and threw a kunai at Zabuza and hit him in the left shoulder causing the rogue shinobi to become angrier.

Zabuza jumped high spinning his sword over his head and flew downwards and swung with all his might and rage hoping to kill the boy.

But Naruto waited until just the right moment, then backflipped aside, lunged forward and struck Zabuza in the hip causing him to yell in rage as he moved again.

At this point, both warriors were reaching their limits, Naruto decided it was time to put a stop to this, Zabuza shouted " What is the meaning of this boy?! No matter how hard I try you block every one of my attacks as if their nothing at all! "

Naruto retorted, " Because unlike you I fight for a greater cause than to harm innocent people, unlike you I have honor and I have friends, so I will not give up because I have to protect them! "

Zabuza, angered by Naruto's words charged at him furiously then swung his sword left and right, Naruto was forced on the defensive trying to block the strikes, in the end Zabuza got few lucky hits.

Despite a few cuts and scrapes, Naruto was still standing and said, " Zabuza, where is your sense of honor? You are the same as Gato, he kills and enslaves innocent people for money, and to make matters worse you dragged Haku into this aswell! Haku looked up to you like a father, he trusted you and you drag him into a life of murder and destruction! "

Zabuza stopped dead in his tracks, Naruto's words hit him deep in the gut, upon which he began having flashbacks about his past, when the visions stopped, Zabuza, bloody, weary and exhausted, fell to his knees in tears and said out loud, " Haku trusted me with all his devotion and I dragged him into a world of despair and blood! What have I done?! "

Then as Naruto stood there he saw Kiba run up and ask what to do with Haku, Naruto said he would return in a minute, Kiba nodded then retuned to his place.

Zabuza then said, " My apprentice is dead because of me, go ahead and finish me, I have nothing left to live for. "

Naruto's answer was, " No, I'm giving you a chance to attone for your wrongs and besides I told them to keep Haku tied up until I return. "

Zabuza suddenly said, " Haku is alive? Please take me to him! I have to apoligize for taking his devotion to my advantage. "

Naruto replied, " Alright Zabuza, follow me. "

And so Naruto led Zabuza back to where Haku was tied up, the boy was still pleading with the others to kill him when Naruto arrived, Sasuke had finally regained conciousness and woken up which overwhelmed Sakura with joy.

Kiba pointing at Haku then asked, " Naruto, what shall we do with him? "

Naruto said, " Let him go. "

Then Zabuza arrived and spoke to Haku saying, " I was a fool Haku, I never took your loyalty seriously and because of that it almost got both of us killed, I am so sorry, can you ever forgive me Haku? "

Haku answered, " I forgive you master, and I always will, I vowed that I would follow you no matter what. "

Zabuza accepted Haku's pledge with honor then turned to Naruto and asked, " How can i possibly make up for the mistakes I made? "

Naruto smiled and said, " Well first you could start by taking care of that bastard Gato and freeing the people from his cruelty. "

Zabuza vowed, " Consider it done. " then made his way to the village with Haku.

When Naruto and Hinata helped the others back to Tazuna's house Kakashi asked Naruto if he could examine the boy's sword, so when Naruto handed Kakashi the sword, the lazy jonin asked, " Naruto, where did you get this? "

Naruto replied, " I found it at an attack scene back in Konoha. "

Kakashi then said, " Do you know what this is Naruto? This is an ANBU Special Operations Sword, the primary weapon used by all ANBU officers in Konoha. Not only is the blade immensely strong, but it's designed to channel the chakra of it's wielder and release it as a devastating blast of power strong enough to level 4 buildings at once. And on top of that, it's capable of absorbing some chakra based attacks or deflecting them depending on the wielder's choice. Plus, when the blade is charged with chakra, it becomes powerful enough to cut through just about anything. "

After hearing that, Naruto was surprised and said, " I didn't realize I had such a powerful weapon! "

Kakashi replied while handing the sword back, " You've got a very powerful weapon here Naruto. You must guard it well, otherwise it could spell disaster. Do you understand Naruto? "

Naruto nodded and took back his sword, then Zabuza arrived and said that Gato and his men were all dead and that the villagers cheered and hailed Zabuza and Haku as heroes.

Naruto and his friends clapped and cheered for they knew their mission was a success.

Later that afternoon Naruto asked Zabuza, " Where will you go from here? "

Zabuza's answer was, " I don't know, wherever fate takes us I guess, but from now on every thing we do will be for the benefit of man and not greed, we will never forget you for this kid, thank you very much. "

And with that the two turned and made their way down the road, Naruto smiled and said quietly, " Goodbye Zabuza, and good luck. "

That was when Kurenai came up and asked, " Naruto, during your fight against Zabuza, I sensed a very strong aura coming from you. I must know, were you using the power of the- "

Whatever she was going to say died as Naruto answered, " I don't think you're allowed to say that Kurenai sensei. But regardless, the answer to your question is yes. I was drawing on the power of the Nine-tails. I had no choice, Zabuza proved to be very formidable, so I did what I had to do. "

Kurenai, sensing the uneasiness in Naruto's voice, decided to ask nothing further, she simply said, " Good job. " then returned to her duties.

Afterward Kakashi and the others had a celebration party for their success during which Naruto and his friends especially Hinata, began having fun.

5 days later the bridge was complete and ready, Tazuna inspired by Naruto's courage decided to name his completed bridge, The Great Naruto Bridge.

Naruto blushed having a structure named after him and smiled as the others cheered at their accomplisment and with that the 2 teams thanked Tazuna and his family for their help and began to make way back home.

Naruto walked with Hinata at his side glad he was able to set Zabuza straight and make him see the light.

Hinata told Naruto about how worried she was during his battle, but Naruto said, " Don't worry Hinata, as I said before with you and everyone else at my side there's nothing I can't accomplish, believe it. "

Hinata blushed at Naruto's resolve and support and thought with determination, _" Naruto is so brave I really do love him, his courage inspires me to no end, one of these days, I will show how much I love him. "_ and with that the 2 friends joined the others as they made their way back to Konoha smiling at a job well done.

End of chapter 5

Note: there will be a lemon in later chapters but nothing vulgar. so until next time, see ya!


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The truth revealed, A joyous reunion!

Note: after doing some research I felt very sorry about how Naruto had to live as a child, so I read on a website that when Naruto's mother gave birth to him she was supposed to be taken to a secure location during the sealing, so what if they had managed to slip away with her and hide her away and what if an ANBU officer had taken the fatal blow in her place alongside Minato ? What would this mean for Naruto ? Wait and see!

One week after the the battle in The Land of Waves team 7 and 8 finally returned to Konoha, but Naruto was not really happy about it because once again he was greeted by glares and hatred from everyone around him.

The 2 sensei's dismissed everyone on their teams except for Naruto and walked to the Hokage tower to report their success to Hiruzen, the third Hokage replied, " I'm actually fairly impressed. You managed to convince Zabuza to help take care of Gato and redeem himself! Excellent work everyone! "

Kakashi replied, " Actually Lord Hokage, the one who made it possible was Naruto. He made Zabuza see the error of his ways and convinced him to seek redemption. "

Hiruzen turned to Naruto and said, "Naruto, whenever I think I've got you figured out, you continue to surprise me. I assume it feels good for you to be back home. "

Naruto's face turned sour as he answered, " No, as far as I'm concerned, I would rather still be in Wave than this rat hole of a village. At least I was considered a hero to those people instead of a monster, at least they treated like a person instead of an outcast. "

Hiruzen, sensing trouble, tried to calm the boy down by saying, " Naruto, what are you saying? You are a hero. These people owe you their lives, if not for you, they would be dead. Surely you don't mean that? "

Naruto was irritated by this and said, " I'm not joking. These people only see me as a monster! For 12 years, I lived a life of solitude and misery not knowing why. But now I know, that those who should have honored me rejected me because of the Nine-tails and forced me into loneliness and pain! Because of that incident, both my parents died leaving me as an orphan with nobody to turn to or find support, I realize others lost their loved ones, but compared to them, I have nothing!"

Hiruzen was stunned at the resentment and sadness in Naruto's voice, in a desperate attempt to soothe the boys hurt feelings, he replied, " Naruto, I understand that you've suffered a lot and you've had a hard life living alone, everyone loses hope at some point when things become so hard for them. But we still need to have faith because eventually with faith and understanding, good things can happen even when we least expect them. "

Naruto angrily retorted, " What has faith and understanding done for me? I get orphaned as a baby, I grow up completely alone, I become a ninja through deceit and trickery, I manage to redeem a rogue shinobi, I save a village from a mob and what do I receive in return from this village? Nothing! I've held on to faith and hope for so long hoping I would find some chance of happiness. Everyday, I have hoped, bled, fought, suffered, struggled, and prayed, and yet even now my prayers remain unanswered! I may be a ninja, but that doesn't mean I can't feel pain! You don't know what I suffer, you don't know what it's like for me to be alone all the time with everyone hating me for something I had no control over! Why am I the one who has to suffer this hard?! WHYYYY! " then the young Uzumaki turned and ran out the door with an angry look on his face as well as tears of resentment in his eyes.

Kakashi shouted in desperation, " Naruto, wait! "

But Saratobi held up his hand and said with a heavy sigh, " Stop Kakashi. Let him go. He's really hurting right now. He finally meets people who trust and praise him, then is forced to return to a place where he was treated with nothing but cold shoulders and hateful words. It's not easy for him to forget his past because of all his misfortunes, something no child should have to endure at such a young age. Naruto is burdened with a life he didn't deserve, and he struggles with it everyday, there were times when I feared he would destroy himself because of all the pain he suffers. I just wish there was more I could have done to help him, because he doesn't deserve this kind of misery."

Kakashi understood and answered, "The main reason he's hurt is because the others have what he doesn't: Family. Living as an orphan your entire life without being wanted has got to be one of the most painful things to endure, and that poor kid had to go through it his whole life completely alone. What did he do to deserve this? I just don't get it. "

Hiruzen replied, " Neither do I Kakashi. I really wish I could've done more to help him. " with that, the 2 men sighed with guilt, at the same time, Hiruzen thought, _" If only I could tell Naruto the truth"_.

As Naruto walked down the streets, only one thing was on his mind, " Family" he kept thinking,_ " I can't understand! Everyone else has a family but me! Why am I the one who has to suffer alone? What did I do to deserve this? " _then he walked on with a sad sigh of heartbreak.

Later that afternoon he sat in the woods just outside the park watching all the little children and their parents playing and having fun family moments, something poor Naruto never had, all at once the memories of his life of misery and loneliness came flooding back bringing tears to his eyes.

That night as Naruto went to bed he still couldn't stop feeling sad, true he was happy the Kyuubi was acting as a guardian for him but he still felt sad and cried at never having anyone to comfort him as a boy when he was hurt.

He remembered what Saratobi had said earlier about faith and thought, _" I don't have very much faith left, but I just can't give up. I hope my suffering will be seen and heard by the Almighty tonight and that my prayers will be heard because I'm at the end of my rope. " _

So Naruto looked out the window at the starry sky and said sadly, " I know this is impossible, but I wish with all my might that I had a family of some kind to give me the love I deserve. Even if all I get is my mother I would at least have someone to comfort me. I wouldn't ask for anything more as long as I live, I just wish I could see my mother again. "

After that Naruto went to sleep still feeling despair and pain even though the fox tried to help console him, but the boy still couldn't find it in himself to smile and fell asleep with sadness and despair on his face.

However, little did Naruto realize that tonight his prayers had been heard and his dream of a family would soon become reality.

At 2am in the morning there was a loud knocking at Naruto's door.

The boy got up and opened it revealing an ANBU officer who said, " Naruto, sorry for waking you up so late but the Hokage needs to see you immediately, he said it was very important! "

Naruto put on his robe and slippers and headed for the Hokage tower, when he arrived he knocked on the door.

Saratobi heard it and said, " Come in. " the door opened revealing Naruto who walked in and took a seat.

Hiruzen smiled and said, " Oh Naruto I'm so glad you're here, I have something very important to tell you. "

Naruto asked, " What is it? "

The 3rd Hokage quickly put a sound barrier to soundproof the room then said, " Naruto, what I'm about to tell you is a very important secret that I kept from you all this time, now before you get upset, the reason I never told you this before is because if word of it leaked out and certain people found out, it would have lead to a devastating emotional blow for you. "

Naruto was rather perplexed as he thought, _" It was that important ? If so, I know something is probably up. " _then he asked, " Sir, what exactly are you trying to tell me? "

The Hokage responded, " Naruto, do you remember all those times I told you that both your parents were dead ? "

Naruto nodded.

Hiruzen continued, " Well, it was a lie."

Naruto's eyes widened as he asked, " What do you mean it was a lie? "

Saratobi replied, " The report that both your parents were dead was a ruse set up by me to prevent security compromises, because the truth is the night that you were born was the night the Kyuubi attacked, the 4th Hokage and an ANBU officer died while sealing it inside of you. After you were born, your mother, Kushina Uzumaki, was ordered by the 4th to be taken to a secure location were no one could find her so that if your father died, your mother would survive, so we rushed her to a hidden location, but because of some unknown complications during your birth she fell into a coma and she's been like that for 12 years, but an hour ago, I'm not sure how it happened, but an hour ago I received word from the hospital confirming that she has finally awakened. "

_Flashback..._

_" Hiruzen looked at his clock which read 1:AM and thought, " I should be getting to bed. " _

_Suddenly the comlink on his desk started beeping at an alarming rate! _

_When he answered it, the voice on the other end said, " Hokage sir, this is the hospital calling! We need you here at once, it's happened! " _

_Hiruzen asked, " What has happened ? " _

_The voice said, " Patient 602, Kushina Uzumaki, height 5'10, weight 130 pds, age: 32, red hair, green eyes, has awoken from her coma and is currently active and oblivious to how long it has been since the attack on Konoha. " _

_Hiruzen was shocked and said, " Tell Kushina I'm on my way! " _

_...end flashback._

And so that's why I called you here Naruto. The reason her survival was kept secret was because I didn't want to risk her life being endangered by assassination attempts. " Hiruzen finished with a smile.

Naruto's body was shaking and he felt tears of joy forming in his eyes as he asked, " Are you telling me that my mother is alive ? "

Hiruzen smiled warmly and replied, " Yes Naruto, your mother is alive and well. If you want, I can take you to her now. "

Naruto replied, " Please sir, take me to her, I want to see my mom. My dream has come true at last, please take me to her! "

Hiruzen got up smiling and said, " Follow me. " and with that he took Naruto by his hand and led him out of his office.

When they arrived at the hospital, a nurse escorted them to Kushina's room.

Before entering the room, Hiruzen told Naruto to wait outside for a few minutes, so Naruto stood in the hallway while Hiruzen went inside to explain some things to Kushina.

As Kushina sat on her hospital bed, she heard the door open and saw a nurse and Saratobi come in, as soon as they entered, Hiruzen activated a sound barrier to prevent Naruto from overhearing them.

Saratobi was the first to speak, " Kushina, so you've finally woken up? It's about time. "

Kushina who was still confused asked, " Saratobi? Why are you here? Where's Minato ? "

Hiruzen answered, " Kushina, this won't be easy for you to hear but you must. " then he went on to explain what happened during the attack, how long it had been since, and that her husband didn't survive.

By the time he was finished Kushina was in tears and replied, " First I lose my former village, then I lose my family, and now I wake up after 12 years in a coma only to find out I'm alone, why is it that I always lose what is precious to me?! " then she began to cry harder.

Hiruzen then replied, " You haven't lost everything Kushina, in fact there's some one who is dying to see you right now. "

Upon hearing that, Kushina stopped crying, looked up and asked. " Who? "

Saratobi smiled, deactivated the sound barrier, then turned around to face the door and called, " You can enter now! "

And with that the door opened and a young boy with blonde spiky hair who was dressed in white pajamas, a black robe and black slippers stepped into the room.

Kushina climbed off the bed and looked at the boy, right away she noticed that he had whisker marks on his face and blue eyes, as she thought, _" I-it c-can't be! "_

Then it hit her, this boy looked a lot like her husband Minato, which meant that he was…her son Naruto!

Kushina felt her hands trembling as tears of joy began to form in her eyes as she looked at the boy before her, she quietly asked, " N-naruto? "

Naruto could no longer hold back his own tears and ran towards her screaming, " Mother! "

Kushina moved forward a little and cried out loud, " Naruto!"

As he caught up to her, Kushina dropped to her knees and embraced her son for the first time, she held him close and cried saying, " My son, I've missed you "

Naruto was crying on her shoulder and hugged her tightly overwhelmed with joy as he responded, " Mommy, I never once gave up hope! I always believed you were still alive somewhere out there! " and with that Naruto and Kushina hugged each other tighter than before unable to stand letting go.

Hiruzen and the nurse left the room to give them some time alone, as the 2 sat there, Naruto was still weeping as Kushina began singing in a soft soothing voice a lullaby she wanted to sing since she was pregnant...

_( Song: Baby of Mine by Alison Krauss from Disney's Dumbo.) You must listen to the song to understand. I don't own Disney._

_Baby mine, don't you cry,_

_Baby mine, dry your eyes,_

_Rest your head close to my heart, __never to part, baby of mine._

_Little one, when you play,_

_Don't you mind what they say,_

_Let those eyes sparkle and shine, never a tear, baby of mine._

_If they knew sweet little you, they'd end up loving you too._

_All those same people who scold you,_

_What they'd give just for the right to hold you_

_From your head down to your toes,_

_your not much, goodness knows, _

_but your so precious to me, _

_sweet as can be, baby of mine._

_All those same people who scold you, _

_What they'd give just for the right to hold you._

_From your head down to your toes, you're not much goodness knows,_

_But you're so precious to me,_

_Sweet as can be baby of mine._

_Baby of mine._

_( End of song.)_

By the time she was done, Naruto was sobbing even harder knowing there were few things more precious than being in the arms of a loving mother, and embraced her tighter.

After 2 minutes of hugging, Hiruzen came in and said, " Naruto, the doctors are gonna have to keep her here for a few more days to make sure her health is in perfect shape then she can go home with you. "

Naruto understood and said, " Please come home mom. "

Kushina smiled and said, " I will sweetheart. I will. " then the 2 hugged one more time before Naruto left with the 3rd.

Half an hour later when they got back to the Hokage tower, Naruto was still overwhelmed with joy, but he decided to let Saratobi in on a little secret.

Naruto replied, " Hokage sir, by keeping the fact that my mother lived a secret and preventing her from being killed, you did something great for me. So I'll return the favor by helping you."

Hiruzen sighed with doubt before saying, " Naruto, what kind of offer do you have that could possibly be of any help to me? "

Naruto grinned evily and answered, " Sir, you know how you're always burdened with all that paperwork ? "

Hiruzen nodded.

Naruto answered, " How would you feel if I told you there was a certain technique that would help you defeat it ? "

In an instant after hearing that, Saratobi was at Naruto's feet bowing with anime tears in his eyes begging and pleading for the boy to tell him the technique!

Naruto smiled and said, " I'll tell you under one condition: Keep me updated on my mothers condition, can you do that? "

" I'll do anything! " Saratobi screamed, nodding with desperation, then Naruto leaned forward and replied sarcastically, " Have you ever thought about using Shadow Clone Jutsu? " then he disappeared from the office and ran all the way home laughing like crazy.

The old man couldn't believe it!

Hiruzen Saratobi, The 3rd Hokage, in his entire reign had never once even thought about using that technique despite having known it for so long, he instantly jumped up, did the hand signs, summoned 5 clones and put them to work.

Then he left the office, went to the kitchen, made himself a plate of burritos, went to the living room, plopped himself on the couch with a smile, pulled out a certain orange book and happily ate as he began reading.

Over the next 3 days, Naruto was notified about his mother's condition, then when the 3rd day ended, he got a call from Saratobi saying, " Naruto I just got word from the hospital, your mom is in 100% good health and she's cleared to go home in the morning. "

Naruto replied happily, " Finally what I have dreamed of for so long has come true at last! Thanks you sir, I will be waiting. "

Then Naruto went to sleep as happy as he could be, even the Kyuubi had to smile at the joy his little friend was having, but at the same time he was worried about what to say to Kushina, Naruto told him not to worry saying they would figure something out, so the Kyuubi sighed with relief as Naruto fell asleep.

The next morning at 6:AM when Naruto woke he remembered that today was when his mother was coming home, so he quickly put on his robe and slippers and looked out the window trying to see her, after five minutes of bad luck at last he saw her then raced downstairs to greet her.

Kushina came walking down the street dressed in white kimono robes and black sandals with her red hair blowing gracefully in the wind, she noticed a lot of people were staring at her like they had seen a ghost, but what mattered to her was finding were her son was, she was so distracted by the changes in town she didn't even see that Naruto was standing outside the building behind her.

When Naruto came out the front door of his apartment building he saw his mother across the street, so to get her attention he called out, " Mom! "

Kushina turned around and saw her son running across the street at her, she smiled with tears of joy and ran towards him, when the two caught up with each other Kushina dropped to her knees and hugged her son causing Naruto to say tearfully, " It's great to have you back mom. "

Kushina answered, " It's great to be back, my son. " and so the joyous reunion continued.

A few yards away Hinata saw the whole thing causing her to shed tears of joy as she thought, _" Naruto, you've finally got your mother back! I'm so happy for you. I just hope she likes me to. " _

Meanwhile a lot of people were giving the two weird looks as if something was wrong, but neither one cared because all that mattered was that Naruto was with his mom, and Kushina was with her son.

Mother and son had found each other at last in a miracle of happiness as Kushina softly said, " Don't worry son, mommy's home and I'll never leave you again."

Naruto joyfully responded, " Mom, everyday I imagined this moment, and now it's come true! I love you mother. "

Kushina smiled with happy tears and said, " And I love you too, my son. "

The two were reunited at last!

Naruto was the happiest he had ever been in his life because he knew that from this day on he would no longer have to be alone and that tomorrow would be a brand new day.

12-year old Naruto Uzumaki, a boy who had suffered all his life because of a misunderstanding had finally recieved the blessing he had always dreamed about and finally found a source of hope and happiness.

Naruto had found his mother at last!

End of Chapter 6


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Family outing and meeting friends.

Note: in this chapter Naruto and his mother will be adjusting to each others company then they will getting back to ninja business, I'm keeping Kushina in this story.

Naruto removed his hands from his mother and replied happily, " Mommy, shall we go inside and have breakfast ? "

Kushina answered, " of course my son. " then she stood up, took Naruto by his hand and went up to his apartment.

Inside Naruto's apartment Kushina looked around and noticed that the living conditions of the apartment were not really adequate, she also noticed that her son had barely any food in the refridgerator, aside from a few ramen cups, bread, eggs and milk Kushina was confused as to why Naruto was living like this.

So she asked, " Naruto, is there a reason why you are living in this sloppy condition? "

Naruto began tearing up again and began to spill his whole story about what he went through as a boy living alone and all the neglect and abuse he got from the villagers.

By the time Naruto was finished, his mother was shocked at what she heard and hugged her crying son and whispered softly, " Don't worry my son from now on things will different and no one will ever treat you like that again while I'm around. "

Naruto sniffled and nodded on her shoulder, then Kushina looked in the fridge and pulled out some eggs, butter, and milk and started making breakfast, as Naruto watched, his mother said that after breakfast she and Naruto were going shopping then spending some family time at the park, to which Naruto replied excitedly, " That's great mom! "

Kushina smiled as by then she was finished making breakfast and made the plates.

As Naruto ate he was astounded how great his mother could cook and replied, " This stuff is delicious mom! "

Kushina smiled with relief and said, " Glad you like it Naruto. "

3 minutes later Naruto finished his meal and put the plate in the sink.

Kushina did the same 5 seconds later and told Naruto it was time to go shopping which made him nervous causing him to say, " But mom we don't have any money, so how can we go shopping? "

Kushina told him not to worry saying that with a little help from Hiruzen, she reopened her old bank accounts and made a few withdrawals giving her plenty of money to buy things, Naruto breathed a sigh of relief and went to get dressed.

5 minutes later Naruto came out wearing black flipflops, blue jeans, and a white t-shirt, Kushina stood up with a smile and said, " Let's go" taking Naruto in hand and made their way to the shopping district of Konoha.

As the two walked Kushina noticed people were staring at her saying, " Who is that woman, and why is she holding hands with that demon boy?! "

Naruto tensed a bit and hid behind his mom, Kushina patted him on the shoulder and said calmly, " It's alright, they won't lay a finger on you. "

Naruto relaxed and continued walking.

When they finally made it to the shopping district of Konoha, Naruto didn't realize that some of his friends nearby saw him with Kushina wondering, _" What's Naruto doing here and who is that woman holding his hand? "_

The first place the two entered was the grocery store which was a little small but adequate enough, as they entered Naruto was greeted with some initial hostility from the store clerk who shouted, " What are you doing here demon brat?! Get out of my shop now! "

Kushina was furious at hearing that, so she walked up and with one hand pulled the store clerk over the counter, bashed him against the desk, then pinned him to the floor and shouted, " What the hell is your problem?! "

The clerk replied timidly, " I don't like that demon boy coming in my shop ma'am. "

Kushina spoke with a murderous glare on her face, " That boy is my son, and if you ever talk to him like that again you're gonna deal with me, understand?! "

The clerk nodded with terror on his face as Kushina let go of him.

Then she heard a voice say, " Kushina, is that you? "

Kushina turned around and saw Kurenai coming towards her and shouted, " Kurenai! It's been a while. "

The two shook hands as Kurenai asked, " what's up Kushina? "

Kushina answered, " Oh nothing much, just doing some shopping with my son Naruto. "

Kurenai was stunned at what she heard and asked, " are you telling me that Naruto Uzumaki is your son? "

Kushina replied, " Yes Kurenai, Naruto is my one and only son. "

Kurenai spoke, " Naruto, I'm glad to see you've got your mom back, now you be good to her and treat her with love and respect. "

Naruto responded, " Don't worry Kurenai, she's the greatest gift I've ever gotten so I will be honest with her. "

Kurenai smiled and left allowing them to continue shopping.

The day went on quite smoothly aside from a few hostilities which Kushina to care of rather quickly, after the grocery store, they went and bought some sets of clothes and accessories, and brought everything back to the apartment, before they went to the park Naruto said, " Mom, there is something you need to know. "

Kushina asked, " What is it son? "

Naruto focused his chakra and the next thing Kushina knew she was staring at the spirtiual form of the Kyuubi causing her to shout, " **YOU ! **"

Naruto calmly replied, " Mom wait, listen to him, he wants to apologize. "

Kushina replied quietly, " Very well. " even though her eyes blazed with anger.

The Kyuubi replied sadly, " I have caused you and your son a great deal of suffering because of my own foolishness and I know that no amount of apologies can erase that, but all I ask is that you hear me out Lady Uzumaki. "

Then the Kyuubi went on to explain the reason for his actions and why he attacked Konoha, how his family was killed, and how guilty he was feeling about it, and how he vowed to protect young Naruto as a way to attone for his mistakes.

As Kushina listened she was becoming more and more doubtful about her feelings on the situation.

The Kyuubi's last words before vanishing were, " I can see I'll have to work hard to earn your trust, but I swear to that no harm will befall your son under my protection on the battlefield and we will find who's responsible for your husband's death, weather you decide to trust me or not is a choice I leave to you. Farewell. "

And with that the fox disappeared into Naruto who said, " Well mom? "

Kushina sighed and spoke, " At this point Naruto, I'm really conflicted, I'm not sure weather or not to trust the nine-tails or keep resenting him. "

Naruto smiled and replied, " You can think about it later mom, let's go to the park and have some fun. "

Kushina smirked and answered, " All right son, let's go to the park. " and with that they packed a lunch and headed for the park.

Naruto was wearing the same clothes he put on before they went shopping.

Kushina was wearing black sandals, black tight pants and a black sleeveless mesh shirt as the two made their way to the park.

Throughout the afternoon Naruto and his mom sat at the park having a picnic and having fun family time when Naruto looked up and saw someone on the far side of the park, as Naruto looked closer he noticed it was Hinata standing in the distance.

So he said, " Mom, would you excuse me for a moment ? "

Kushina asked, " Why sweetheart ? "

Naruto answered, " Watch this. "

Then he got up and ran over to Hinata and said, " Hey Hinata, what are you doing here? "

Hinata blushed and replied, " H-hello N-naruto, I was just here trying to get some air and stuff. "

Naruto chuckled and said, " Well Hinata how would you like to meet my mom? I know she'll like you. "

Hinata smiled and said, " S-sure Naruto I'd love to. " Naruto smirked and led her back to his mom.

Kushina sat on the picnic blanket watching her son as he came back at same time she thought, _" Who is that he's bringing back? "_

Naruto walked up to his mom with Hinata in tow and said, " Hey mom, this is Hinata, she's one of my friends from the academy. Hinata, this is my mom. "

Hinata smiled at Kushina and replied, " My name is Hinata Hyuuga, nice to meet you. "

Kushina smiled at the young Hyuuga heiress and answered, " Nice to meet you Hinata, I'm Naruto's mother, My name is Kushina Uzumaki. "

Then Naruto asked, " Mom, can she join us and get better aquainted ? "

Hinata was about to decline when Kushina happily spoke, " I see no reason why not, sit down Hinata, tell me some of the adventures you had with Naruto. "

Hinata smiled and accepted.

As the rest of the afternoon went by, Naruto, his mother, and Hinata talked about what they did at the academy, on their first mission and how Naruto helped her pass the genin exams, by the time they were done it was close to sunset and Hinata said she had to go home.

Kushina replied, " We'll walk you back. " Hinata said thank you and walked back with them.

After dropping Hinata off at home, Kushina decided to go to Ichiraku's for dinner which of course caused Naruto to shout with delight.

When they arrived Teuchi and Ayame were stunned to see Kushina and asked, " Kushina, is that you ? Were have you been so long ?

Kushina smiled and said, " I'll explain everything later, right now I just want to have dinner with my son. "

So the two each ordered 2 bowls of miso ramen and happily ate dinner together for the first time, afterwards Kushina explained the reason for her long absense upon which Teuchi and Ayame were stunned and replied, " Well, it's just great to have you back Kushina. "

Kushina happily replied, " It's great to be back. "

After that she shook hands with them, payed them for the food and went home with Naruto, when they got back Naruto changed into his pajamas while Kushina changed into her night robe, ( the same white robe she wore at the hospital )

As the two went to bed Naruto explained to his mom about the sword he found to which Kushina replied, " The fact that you studied Kenjutsu and practiced a lot makes it clear to me that you are indeed careful enough that I don't have to worry about you accidentally hurting someone but at the same time be careful Naruto. "

Naruto replied, " Don't worry mom, I will. "

Kushina smiled and kissed her son good night and said, " Good night sweetheart. "

Since the apartment had of course 2 twin beds, Naruto climbed into his bed by the window, his mother climbed into the second bed, layed herself down and fell asleep within 5 minutes thinking,_ " Someday Naruto, we will take up the name of Namikaze, but for now the best thing to do is stay hidden. " _

Naruto fell happily to sleep thinking how good his first family moment had been and knew there would be many more to come.

End of chapter 7


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Clan meeting, Confrontation, A father's love.

Note: The Chunin exams will be featured in the next chapter, after doing some research, I learned that Hinata is basically viewed as the black sheep of her clan, but the idea of her father being cruel and abusive is a little too overdone, so I'm making him out as a father who wants what is best for his daughter but doesn't know what to do because of clan laws, so this chapter will address that issue and show that Hiashi really does love his daughter. Also if Naruto and Hinata are to fall in love, I firmly believe that their relationship needs to broaden out a little.

It was 7am when Naruto and his mother Kushina woke up after their family time yesterday, after breakfast Naruto checked his journal and informed his mom that the Chunin exams were 3 days away and that he and Hinata should train for it.

Kushina agreed to that saying that she intended to have a talk with Hiashi anyway, so after getting dressed the two made their way to the Hyuga estate, 2 guards at the entrance asked what they wanted to which Kushina replied, " My name is Kushina Uzumaki, I have come seeking an audience with Hiashi regarding a very important matter. "

The guard nodded his head and let them through, Kushina walked up to the front door and knocked, Hinata was the first to answer it and when she saw who was there she blushed again and said, " K-kushina, N-naruto, what are you two doing here ? "

Kushina smiled and asked, " Hinata, is your father home ? " Hinata answered meekly, " Um, y-yes. "

Kushina replied, " That's good because I need to speak with him. "

Hinata nodded and said, " All right, follow me. "

And with that Hinata led them to her father's study room and knocked on the door hesitantly, when Hiashi heard the knocking he answered, " Come in. "

The door opened and Hinata walked in causing her father to say in a stern voice, " Hinata, this better be important for you to interrupt my studies! "

Hinata softly responded, " It is important father, you have a very important guest waiting to see you. Shall I bring them in ?

Hiashi replied calmly, " Very well, send them in. "

Then the door opened and Kushina stepped into the room along with Naruto, upon seeing who his guest was, Hiashi lurched up from his chair with a stunned look on his face and said, " Kushina, Is that you ? Where have you been all these years ? "

Kushina responded, " Relax Hiashi, I'll explain everything in a moment. "

Then she turned to Naruto and spoke cheerfully, " Naruto, you and Hinata go outside and practice, me and Hiashi have important grown-up matters to discuss. "

Naruto replied excitedly, " All right mom, lets go Hinata! " and with that Naruto went outside with Hinata leaving Kushina and Hiashi to their discussion.

After setting up a sound barrier to make sure no one heard them, Kushina went on to explain the reason for her absence, her marriage to Minato and that Naruto was her son, after hearing that Hiashi was shocked and asked, " How is that possible Kushina ? I mean there are no records of your wedding with Minato Namikaze, so how can this be ? "

Kushina answered, " Because those records were kept under raps Hiashi, we married in secret because there were too many enemies at the time meaning they could have used me to get to him if the marriage was made public, understand? "

Hiashi responded, " That does make sense, but I'm still not convinced that Naruto is really your son, I must ask you to show me some proof of that. "

Kushina handed Hiashi a piece of paper and replied, " Read this, I think you'll be surprised. "

Hiashi was shocked to learn that the piece of paper in his hand was Naruto's official birth certificate confirming he was indeed the son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, after getting over his shock Hiashi replied, " So it's true! Naruto is the son of the fourth Hokage and heir to the Namikaze clan! Tell me Kushina, do you plan on revealing this to Naruto yet ? "

Kushina sighed and said, " It's too risky at this point, you know just as well as I do that the Namikaze clan had a lot of enemies, many of which are still out there, so I can't risk putting my son in danger right now, I will reveal when he is older. "

Hiashi nodded with understanding then Kushina replied, " Having said that, I found out something you might want to know, your daughter and my son are good friends but after careful observation I discovered something unexpected, my son might not know it, but Hinata harbors a deep love for my son, I have a feeling that one day those two might fall in love. "

Hiashi replied sadly, " Even if that were true, the clan council would never allow that, if such a thing were to happen the elders would take whatever measures necessary to stop it even murdering Hinata if they had to. "

Kushina retorted, " What is that supposed to mean Hiashi ? you're the head of the clan so why would you allow the elders to treat your daughter so harshly? "

Hiashi went on to explain that a century ago the clan was united as a single family, but over the years the prestige of the clan slowly eroded and became useless coming to a point were the elders controlled everything and the Hyuga clan became divided and was controlled by hypocrites resulting in his daughter being looked at as the black sheep in her family after her mother's death, by the time he finished Hiashi was close to shedding tears.

Kushina's first response was, " Well if you knew this was happening then why didn't you do something about it ?! I mean your're Hinata's father so why are you not protecting her like a real father ?! If you ask me what you need to do is place her in the care of someone outside the clan until those the hypocrites you call a council draw their last breath then the clan can unify once again.

Hiashi angrily snapped, " Are you out of your mind Kushina?! If I did something like that without the elders approval they would either place the Cage Bird Seal on her or have her killed! "

Kushina snapped back, " Well that's just the point Hiashi, as long as she remains with you she's in danger! So it's up to you!

Hiashi on the verge of tears asked, " Why me? "

Kushina answered, " Because she has no one else to turn to, she wants a father she can look to for help, she wants a father that really does love his children, she wants a father who is devoted and willing to do anything to protect his offspring, I may have spent 12 years in a coma and only 3 days awake but from what I've seen here, it looks like I'm in the presence of a man who disregards the life of his own daughter because of some paranoid bastards!

Hiashi finally broke down into tears and said, " Kushina, you don't understand. I love my daughter, I loved her since the day she was born, I wanted to protect her but I didn't know what to do, I didn't want to be forceful with her because her mother was the same way, gentle and reserved. I would do anything to protect her, but even I did put her in someone else's care, who can i trust to keep her safe? I want to protect her, I want to help her and I want her to be safe, I love her as much as any ordinary father would.

Kushina spoke, " Then think of what's best for Hinata and not the elders. "

Hiashi spoke in a sobbing voice, " I would gladly put her in the care of someone else if I have to, but who can I trust to keep her safe until i have a chance to reunite the clan? "

Kushina smiled proudly and replied happily, " I would be more then happy to do that Hiashi. "

Hiashi still sobbing asked, " Are you serious Kushina? You would actually do that for me? "

Kushina replied happily, " I have no problem looking after her besides I think it would do her well to be around people where she won't feel under pressure, also spending time with my son seems to boost her confidance more and more each day, she will be safe with us Hiashi, I promise you that."

Hiashi smiled tearfully and replied, " I will never forget you for this Kushina, for the first time I can actually do what's best for my beloved daughter, when do you think we should put this plan into action? "

Kushina got serious at once and replied, " I think we should do it tonight because things might get suspicious very quickly. "

Hiashi realizing she was right said, " I believe you're right Kushina, we will make sure she is out of the house by midnight tonight, that way I can at least say goodbye and say I love her, I won't tell her until midnight so keep this a secret. "

Kushina agreed and said, " I'm off to the training grouds for a while so that I can work my skills back up, I will be back at midnight to get Hinata so be ready. Have a nice day. "

Kushina got up and left leaving Hiashi to decide on how to tell Hinata the news, at one point he looked out the window at his daughter playing and training with Naruto and thought,_" I'm sorry Hinata, but soon you'll be out of this mess and in a safe place, I may not have been the father I should have, but I won't let you suffer because of the elders hypocrisy. "_

Neji walked in and asked what happened, after Hiashi explained everything he was in tears again, but Neji simply said, " You did the right thing uncle, I always feared for Hinata's life, but she'll be safe with Kushina, and when she comes back I garuntee she'll be a stronger kunoichi like we have never seen, I mean Kushina wasn't known as the Crimson Death for nothing. "

As Neji left Hiashi smirked at that, then he went back to planning for tonight.

Meanwhile as Kushina exited the Hyuga compound she told Naruto that she was going to the training grounds and asked Hinata to join her, Naruto replied happily, " I need to go there as well mom, so I'll join you too. "

Kushina replied, " Very well my son, let's go. "

For the rest of the day at training ground 7 Naruto practiced ninjutsu, kenjutsu, and taijutsu as well as honing his abilities with the Kyuubi, on the other side of the training ground Kushina was helping Hinata to better understand the basics of taijutsu and chakra control as well as basic ninjutsu, Hinata, under Kushina's guidance and encouragement started to get hang of the training rather quickly, at the end of the day when Hinata left, Kushina explained to Naruto what happened with Hiashi and that Hinata would be staying with them until her father could reunite the clan, Naruto was excited and yelled, " That's great mom, it means that me and her can spend all the time we want together! "

Kushina smirked and said, " Lets go home and have dinner my son, we're picking Hinata up at midnight. "

Naruto nodded and followed his mom home.

Late that night at 11pm Hinata was sitting on her bed smiling as she thought about the helpful lessons she learned from Kushina, then just as she was about to go to sleep there was a knock at her door, when she opened it there stood her father who said in a sad voice, " Hinata sweetheart, I need to talk to you. "

Hinata confused as to why her father looked so sad asked, " What is the matter father? "

Hiashi sat down with Hinata and told her what he talked to Kushina about and how he planned to remove her from the clan until it was safe for her to return, by the time he finished Hinata was in tears.

Her father looked deep into her eyes and replied sadly, " Please don't cry honey it's for your own good, I wasn't the father I should've been, but this way those bastards can't touch or harm you until I can bring the clan back together, I'm sorry I wasn't there for you like I should have been, but at least I have done something that will keep you safe from harm as well as make you a better warrior, whatever hatred or resentment you have for me is completely justified, I'm not asking you to forgive me, I just want you to understand, Kushina will be here at midnight to take you away to a safer place, I'm so sorry Hinata. "

Hinata hugged her father and said softly, " Father, first of all: I'm not angry with you, I always knew something was troubling you, but I never thought it was this deep, second: you did the right thing because I will be safe if I'm away from this place, third: I realize how heartbroken you are because of your mistakes, but I forgive you father. "

Hiashi hugged his beloved daughter with tears of joy and said, " I love you Hinata. "

Hinata responded, " I love you too, father. "

Then when Hiashi looked at the clock, it read 11:57 PM, so he said, " Kushina will be here in 3 minutes, we better get you out while everyone's asleep. "

Hinata quickly threw on a cloak designed to hide the identities of important people and followed Hiashi downstairs to the ground floor very quietly, then the Hyuga clan leader quietly opened the front door just as Kushina arrived dressed in her old uniform from her days as a ninja,Naruto was right behind her wearing the same clothes from his battle with Zabuza , Hiashi shook Kushina's hand and quietly said, " Don't run off until I give the all-clear signal. "

Kushina nodded then picked Hinata up in her arms and hid behind a clump of trees with Naruto as she waited for the signal.

Hiashi using his own byakugan checked every inch of the house making sure everyone was asleep, afterward he climbed to the highest room in the mansion, looked out an open window and gave Kushina the signal, then undercover of darkness the group took off with Hinata in tow.

And so Hiashi Hyuga watched with a heavy heart as one of his most treasured possessions, " His beloved daughter " disappeared into the night, once Kushina and Naruto were out of sight he retired to bed thinking, _" Please be safe my daughter, I love you. "_

Meanwhile Kushina and her son managed to sneak Hinata back to their apartment without being spotted, in preparation for Hinata, Kushina went out earlier and bought an extra dresser and a special cot that when folded out would look like an actual mattress, Hiashi secretly said he would have an ANBU officer bring Hinata's belongings over the next day.

The group quietly went upstairs to the apartment and Kushina carefully unlocked the door and went inside, once the 3 were inside Naruto locked the door while his mother removed Hinata's cloak, looked into her eyes with a smile and said, " I promised your father that I would keep you safe until you can return home, and when the time comes I assure you that you will be the greatest kunoichi your clan has ever seen, I will look out for you when your father couldn't, I will keep you safe. "

Hinata smiled tearfully and replied, " I have no doubt that you can protect me Kushina. "

Kushina happily replied, " Now that that's out of the way, let's get some sleep, you two need to get ready for the Chunin exams in 2 days. "

And with that, Hinata who was still in her pajamas watched as Naruto unfolded her cot then went to the bathroom and changed into his pajamas, Kushina changed into her nightrobe and climbed into her own bed while Naruto climbed into his, the finally Hinata climbed on to her cot and soon fell asleep with a smile on her face knowing that she would no longer have to live in fear for her life and that she was now on the road to becoming a great kunoichi.

End of chapter 8

Note: to all my readers, I present this chapter as a testament to show that even though I mourn the sudden departure of my beloved uncle, my resolve still stands and will not be broken. I would like to thank everyone for their support and encouragement which has kept me going.

Thank you all, and God bless America.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Chunin exams part 1

Note: I have decided to include the chunin exams, but because it's so long, I have to break it down into sections so this chapter will cover the opening tests, and the next chapter will cover the matches from start to finish, so lets get this show on the road.

After 2 days of intense training Naruto and Hinata were ready for the chunin exams, so Kushina kissed her son and wished him and Hinata good luck, then she left for the training grounds to do some exercise then meet her son at the academy, so the two friends made their way to the academy to meet up with their sensie's and their teammates, Kurenai, Kakashi and Asuma all volunteered for their teams to take part in the exams.

As the Rookie 9 of Konoha waited in the room for their first test, Kiba and Shikimaru walked over to Naruto and asked, " Naruto, who was that with you the other day ? "

Naruto answered, " What are you talking about Kiba ? "

Shikamaru replied, " Don't play dumb with us Naruto, we saw you in the shopping district the other day holding hands with a red-haired woman, who was she? "

Upon hearing that everyone in the room turned and looked at Naruto who smiled and replied happily, " Well Shikamaru, that was my mother you saw me with. "

The reaction was unexpected as almost everyone in the room gasped, then Sakura spoke up, " Naruto, I don't know what you're talking about, after all your parents are dead, the Third himself said so. "

Kakashi replied flatly, " She's right Naruto, as far as I'm concerned you're just pulling another prank as usual. "

Then a voice said, " And your still as late as ever from what I hear Kakashi. "

Kakashi and all the others turned around and came face to face with Naruto's mother Kushina Uzumaki who was dressed in her old jonin attire with her red katana at her waist, Naruto ran to her shouting, " Mom! " and hugged her causing her to smile saying, " I wish you the best of luck in the exams my son, you too Hinata. "

Hinata blushed and said, " Thank you Kushina. " while Naruto replied, " I'll pass the exam mom, believe it! "

Then he turned around and said aloud, " Everyone, this is my mother Kushina Uzumaki. "

Kushina smiled and waved at everyone, then Kakashi spoke up, " After all these years, to think that we would cross paths again, I had no idea you were still alive Kushina, where have you been? "

Kushina narrowed her eyes at him, then went on to explain to Kakashi what happened, where she had been the whole time, and how she was finally reunited with her son.

Kakashi scoffed, "Hmph! Well, you should teach him a lesson, he never respects me as his sensei and he's always criticizing my leadership as a jonin."

Kushina stared blankly for a moment then turned around and started thinking, at first she was going to chastise her son, but she remembered what Naruto had told her that Kakashi was always late, that he was never on time for the missions, the fact that everytime Naruto and his team tried to ask him to train them, all he did was read an orange book and ignore them, as well as the fact that all he really taught them were minor exercises.

As quickly as she turned around, she unsheathed her sword and pointed it right at Kakashi with a sadistic look on her face!

The reaction was considerably strong earning shocks from everyone except Naruto who smirked, he knew exactly what his mother intended.

Kakashi was shocked as he said, " Crazy! You're crazy! "

Kushina retorted, " The only reason he criticized your leadership is because it was incompetent from the start."

The lazy jonin said in fear, " No one, no matter what rank, jonin or ANBU, no one threatens their fellow shinobi! "

The rage in Kushina's voice got more and more intense as she retorted, " You show up late to every single mission with your team causing them to not get the job done on time resulting in a failure to perform your duty! You insult my son! you drag him into a lethal death trap without proper training or preparation! Oh I've chosen my words carefully Kakashi. Perhaps you should have done the same! "

Kakashi shouted, " You are psychotic! You're mental! "

As Kushina lowered her sword, she got a look on her face that was like, " What the hell? " she looked at Kakashi who was shaken up, then she turned and looked at Naruto as if to say, " What do you think sweetheart? "

Naruto grinned sadistically and nodded.

Kushina turned back to Kakashi and replied, " Mental? **I'M HIS MOTHER! **" then she swung her leg up and nailed Kakashi in the abdomen causing him to howl in pain as he fell to the ground.

Everyone laughed at the site as Kushina walked up to the whimpering Kakashi, snatched up his orange book and said with venom in her voice, " I'm warning you now Kakashi, if I hear from my son that you showed up late for a mission or neglected to properly train him just one more time, I will have you stripped of your jonin status and your " Favorite Book " will be burned. "

That got Kakashi pleading, " No no no! Don't do that, I'll keep it under control, I swear."

After giving Kakashi his book back, Kushina grabbed him by his collar causing him to whimper as she said, " You better."

Then she turned to Naruto and replied, " Have fun Naruto. "

Naruto answered, " I sure will. " then Kushina left as the exams began.

Along the way Naruto and Hinata met three genin from Sunagakure named Garra, Kankuro, and Temari, and learned they were in Konoha to take part in the chunin exams.

As the exams began, the first phase proctored by Ibiki was a test of information-gathering and willpower where there was a ten question test where the first nine questions had to be answered by cheating which both Naruto and Hinata understood due to their training and careful studying so they obtained the answers without getting caught, the final question was a do-or-die question where if one didn't answer their whole team failed, but if one answered wrong they would remain a genin forever, but Naruto and Hinata's teamwork paid off as they found themselves among the genin who passed the test.

The second phase proctored by Anko was a survival test in ' The Forest Of Death ' which almost failed because of an incident with a missing-nin from Konoha named Orochimaru who appeared out of nowhere and attacked Naruto and Sasuke.

Naruto fought hard but even with Sasuke's help Orochimaru was too strong for them, he knocked Sasuke unconscious and sent Naruto flying into a tree leaving him bruised, bleeding, and exhausted from using too much chakra.

Then Sasuke was branded with a ' Cursed Seal Of Heaven ' to which Orochimaru said Sasuke would come to him for the power to defeat his brother Itachi.

Naruto enraged by this attempted to fight back but was too weak, Orochimaru smirked and attempted to use the Five Elements Seal on Naruto who was exhausted from the fight.

Before the seal was activated the Kyuubi spoke to Naruto and warned him about what the seal would do if it hit them, so Naruto mentally replied, " I'm counting on you buddy, don't let it hit me, now let's do this! " then as Naruto focused his chakra he shouted, " Arise Nine-Tails! I need your help! "

(_ insert music from ' YUGIOH the movie ' when he revives the Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon! _)

Then within seconds a two-story tall spiritual form of the Kyuubi appeared on the battlefield and jumped in the way of the seal shouting, " I'll protect you Naruto! "

Then as the seal collided with him, the Kyuubi using all his demonic power rendered the seal useless and lunged at Orochimaru wounding him, as the rogue ninja retreated he sent his three genin, Team Dosu to go after Sasuke.

By this time Sasuke was still unconscious while Naruto was still awake, when Sakura arrived she demanded to know what happened, when Naruto explained how they were ambushed she understood and attempted to help Sasuke.

Then suddenly Team dosu appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Sakura by her hair making her realize that Naruto was right when he said how weak she was, so she pulled out kunai and freed herself by cutting her own hair, then vowed to fight the Oto genin vowing that she would no longer be dependent on her teammates.

By then Team 10 arrived on the scene and tried to resolve the situation, Team Dosu was getting the best of them, but then they recognized Neji as a Hyuga who could see right through them with his Byakugan, but before he could attack an awakened Sasuke intervened.

By then the cursed seal on Sasuke was starting to take effect putting him in a state of insanity where he began clobbering the team's leader in a sadistic manner, but before he went overboard Sakura hugged him begging him to stop which allowed Sasuke to regain control of himself but still exhausted from his ordeal he could barely move.

Team dosu then replied in unison, " Enough fooling around! Once Sasuke is out of the way, we will kill the blonde kid next. "

Suddenly they all heard a loud ferocious voice yelling, "** Never!** " then as everyone looked on in utter shock, the mighty Kyuubi leaped out from the shadows and stood in front of Naruto ready to defend, he glared fiercely at the Oto genin and growled, " If you take one step towards Naruto, it will be your last! " Team Dosu gave up and retreated confused as to why their sensei wanted them to kill Sasuke.

Then Neji shouted, " It's the Nine-Tails! We have to do something! "

But Sakura grabbed his hand and shouted, " Neji wait! It's all right, he was protecting Naruto! "

The Kyuubi then said to Neji, " The girl speakes the truth young man, I am Naruto's guardian and so to attone for my mistakes in the past, I have sworn to protect the boy whose vessel I share, anyone who dares to cause him pain and misery will suffer my wrath, so I would be very careful what comes out of your mouth next. "

Neji nodded with understanding and raced off with his team to tell the Hokage what happened.

Meanwhile across town in the food and dining district of Konoha, Kushina was at a tea shop enjoying a few refreshments and having funny conversations with Kurenai when she felt a sudden chill crawl up her spine, then being the original jailer of the Kyuubi before her son she felt the Nine-Tails aura spike and gasped, " What's wrong Kushina? " Kurenai asked alarmed, Kushina answered in a state of panic, " I think my son is in trouble! " then she raced off in the direction where she sensed the aura of the Kyuubi while Kurenai shouted, " Hurry! " then she sat down and hoped everything was all right.

As Kushina reached The Forest Of Death she was starting to panic as tears of dread began to roll down her eyes as she saw smoke off in the distance, just beyond the clearing she started yelling frantically, " Naruto where are you?! Answer me! "

Then behind her she heard a voice yell, " Mom! " the she turned and looked and there was Naruto resting against a tree with the Kyuubi standing over him.

Then the fox called out, " Kushina! Kushina, we're over here! " as Kushina caught up to them she dropped to her knees and hugged her son while saying, " Oh my god, are you okay?! Oh Naruto! "

Then the fox replied, " We were ambushed and attacked by a rouge ninja, but Naruto is fine, aside from exhaustion. a few cuts and bruises and chakra depletion he's all right, but his injuries might have been even worse if it wasn't for me. "

Naruto then said in a tired voice, "It's true mom, they almost got me, but the Nine-Tails, he protected me. " then hugged his mother back.

Kushina hugged her son tighter and replied with tears of joy, " Naruto, thank god! Oh thank god you're okay! " then she turned her head to her left and looked up at the Kyuubi with a tearful smile still holding her son and said , " Thank you so much Nine-Tails, for saving my little boy. "

The Kyuubi smiled and replied, " As I said before, it is my sworn duty to protect him whatever the cost, so your gratitude isn't really necessary but it's great knowing he's okay. "

Kushina shook her head and replied in the same happy and tearful voice, " You don't understand fox, Naruto is my only son, he's the only family I have left and today I would've lost him if it wasn't for you, I am indebted to you for saving my little boy, from now on you have my trust. "

The Kyuubi smiled proudly and replied, " The only thing I want in return is for you to be there for Naruto when he needs you as a mother, because nothing hurt me more on the inside than to see him suffer the blame for my mistakes all those years ago and how savage those people treated him, plus having no one to comfort him in times of despair, you have no idea how dreadful my demonic heart ached with sadness to see the boys pain, knowing you were alive that night, all I could think was, " Finally after 12 years of suffering, the almighty hears the boy's cries and bestows him with a light of hope and the blessing of a family. " it is a great honor to have your trust Lady Uzumaki, I will not let you down, you have my word, Until next time, farewell. "

Before the fox disappeared into Naruto, the young Uzumaki said to him, " Partner, I'm tired of always calling you Fox, Nine-Tails, and Kyuubi, so I think it's time to give you your own name to use, and the way I see it, how about if I call you Kurama from now on? "

The fox grinned and answered, " Kurama…huh? I actually kind of like that name. Very well my friend, Kurama it is. Be safe. " then he returned to Naruto's mind smiling.

At the end of the day Team 7 still managed to pass the test by defeating Team Oboro from Amegakure with a little help from Kabuto Yakushi, a fellow ninja from Konoha, but Naruto wasn't present at the time because realizing he was too exhausted to continue fighting Kushina rushed him to the hospital where he was visited by the Hokage.

After explaining what happened to the Third, Saratobi explained that Orochimaru was one of his fomer pupils also known as the Sanin who went off the deep end sometime ago and then he said, " The fact that you survived an encounter with him is a miracle itself, and the fact that your team survived as well means that you have passed the test, the preliminaries will be held in one week which gives you and your team plenty of time to get prepared, now get some rest Naruto. " then Hiruzen exited the room leaving Naruto with his mother.

After two days in the hospital Naruto finally recovered and returned home with Kushina who informed him that Hinata and her team had also made it to the next round of the Chunin exams, after they got home Naruto explained to Hinata what happened with his team two days ago, after Naruto was finished, Hinata with tears in her eyes replied , " Thank goodness you're alright Naruto! When I heard you were injured I was so scared! "

Naruto smiled, gave Hinata a gentle hug causing her to blush and spoke some reassuring words, " Don't worry Hinata, with you, my mom, and the Nine-Tails by my side, no one will ever take me down. Believe it. " Hinata smiled with tears of joy and returned the hug.

Kushina watched from across the room smiling and thought, _" Aww how sweet. I have no doubt those two will fall in love one day_. _I just hope my son isn't as dense as his father was. "_

That night as the group went to bed, Naruto and Hinata were determined not to let anything stop them from becoming chunin and decided to spend the week training and prepairing for the next stage of the exams.

Kushina fell asleep with a smile on her face knowing the Kyuubi was serious about protecting Naruto, the last thing she thought was, _" Any doubt I had about the Nine-Tails is gone now because I know that with him, my son is in good hands when he goes into battle, I know that fox will protect my son no matter what. " _ and with that she fell asleep looking forward to the next day.

End of Chapter 9

Note: there you go my readers, a Naruhina moment, and there will be many more, also for those of you who are wondering, there will be some Sakura bashing at some point in the chunin exams, I plan on giving her a punishing blow from one of my favorite movie scenes, what kind of blow? Oh, I'm not going to spoil it but for all you Sakura haters out there… Ha Ha Ha, you are in for a treat! Until next time, have a nice day!

I would like to apologize for the slow update but i'm going through a rough time right now, my uncle was killed in a car accident on april 1st, two weeks later my dog died of kidney failure, but my resolve still stands and will not break.

Note: I don't own Naruto, Dishonored, or the music from Yugioh, this is just my imagination.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Chunin Exams part 2

Note: This chapter will handle the preliminaries and the next chapter will show the finals, there will be major Sakura bashing towards the end of this chapter as well as that punishing blow I promised, also i added a song called "Always There " from Lady and The Tramp 2 by Disney, the song actually identifies with Naruto because he never had a family, you have to listen to the song while reading this to understand it, believe me no matter how many times i hear this song, i always cry. so let's get started!

One week after the incident with Orochimaru, Naruto had fully recovered and returned to next phase of the exams, seven teams had managed to pass which was twice than expected, to cut down the prevailing genin from the second exam, a preliminary round was staged before the 3rd and final stage of the exams.

Originally there were 21 combatants, but after Kabuto withdrew, only 20 remained and were to be matched up with each other in a fight that would last until someone gave up or could no longer fight, the proctor of the third exam Hayate Gekko reserved the right to step in and stop the fight when he felt there was a clear winner.

At first Sakura attempted to explain about about the cursed seal that Sasuke had been branded with by Orochimaru, but Sasuke told her to mind her own business, Naruto tried to explain as well but Sasuke stopped him by saying that he was someone he wanted to fight, Naruto would later return the sentiment.

Round 1: Sasuke vs. Yoroi!

Before fight started Kakashi warned Sasuke that if the seal got out of control then he would have to stop the fight, this prevented Sasuke from using any techniques because the seal was powered by chakra flow, as the fight began Yoroi stole Sasuke's chakra with his Chakra Absorption, the fight seemed hopeless for Sasuke until he heard Naruto's taunts, next to him was Rock Lee which Sasuke an idea, using the Lion Combo, a partial copy of Lee's Front Lotus which Sasuke captured with his Sharingan, he knocked Yoroi unconscious allowing Sasuke to advance to the next round, after the fight Kakashi took Sasuke away to seal the cursed seal.

Round 2: Shino vs. Zaku!

As the fight began Zaku apparently had only one usable arm saying he could win regardless, elsewhere the cursed seal was being sealed by Kakashi, but Orochimaru showed up for Sasuke asserting that all the genin at his command were disposable, as Kakashi readied his Lightning Cutter, Shino ordered a multitude of insects to attack Zaku from behind leaving the one-armed Zaku unable to defend himself with his Unidirectional Technique, by the time Zaku revealed he could use both arms it was to late, Shino's bugs blocked the tubes in Zaku's arms causing a build-up of chakra that resulted in both his arms exploding, thus ending the fight, then as Orochimaru left he said Sasuke would be his someday.

Round 3: Kankuro vs. Misumi!

Misumi quickly used Soft Physique Modification to restrain Kankuro and threatened to snap his neck, until it was revealed the Kankuro that Misumi was fighting was a puppet, the real Kakuro was disguised using the Puppet Technique, he used the puppet Crow to crush Misumi's bones defeating him.

Round 4: Sakura vs. Ino!

Being rivals, this match was actually quite meaningful, the fight dragged on for a very long time as the two seemed to be on par with each other, until Ino tried using posession to force Sakura to forfiet but Sakura's will expelled Ino from her mind, exhausted and out of chakra they both went for a final attack hitting each other at the same time which rendered them both unconscious, Hayate then said neither of them would move to the next round.

Round 5: Temari vs. Tenten!

This fight was over rather quickly as all the projectile weapons used by Tenten were completely countered by the Wind Release Techniques used by Temari, Rock Lee jumped in to avenge Temari's treatment of Tenten, but Might Guy stopped what would have turned into a fight.

Round 6: Shikamaru vs. Kin!

In this fight Shikamaru knew he was at a disadvantage since Kin had seen his Shadow Imitation Technique in The Forest Of Death without showing her own fighting style, Kin started by dodging the tecnique and throwing senbon with and without bells, using strings to ring the bells in various position to confuse Shikamaru and attack him from behind, but then Shikamaru started matching her shadow with his, with their techniques matched each drew a shuriken and flung it at each other, Shikamaru managed to successfully dodge, but Kin having previously retreated banged her head against the wall and knocked herself unconscious which was the true goal of Shikimaru's battle plan. Shikamaru emerged as the winner.

Round 7: Naruto vs. Kiba!

The fight went poorly for Naruto at first when Kiba's ninken, Akamaru joined the fight and turned into Kiba using the Human Beast Clone Technique, Naruto made a comeback by transforming in a layered fashion in Akamaru then into Kiba causing the two to collide with each other, then Kiba started throwing a barrage of punches to prevent Naruto from striking back, but using the power of sight, smell, and hearing granted by his partner the Kyuubi, Naruto predicted the attacks and flipped overhead striking Kiba in the shoulder then defeated him by using shadow clones to perform a new technique, the Naruto Uzumaki Combo.

Round 8: Hinata vs. Neji!

At first Neji assaulted Hinata psychologically using her own fears to convince her she had no chance, but encouraged by Naruto's words and Kushina's teaching she remained calm and focused determined not to quit, they both fought using the Gentle-Fist Style and Byakugan, for a while they seemed to be equally matched until Neji stopped the flow of chakra in Hinata's arms preventing her from using Gentle-Fist, Hinata kept on fighting until the exam proctor intervened stopping Neji from killing her, as Hinata turned to leave she heard a voice yell, " Hinata wait! " she turned around and saw Naruto running up to her, once he caught up to her Naruto replied, " Don't feel bad Hinata, that was awesome! It seems my mothers training is actually becoming a benefit for you because you were calm the entire time. " Hinata replied sadly, " But N-naruto, I lost. " Naruto put his hand on her shoulder and said proudly, " Hinata, just because you lost one battle doesn't mean it's the end of it, in fact you've shown me that you have a warrior's heart, you fought to very end without giving up, there is no shame in that, in fact I would have done the same thing, because that's my ninja way, I have every confidence that with time and training you will succeed next time. Believe it! " then he gave her a small hug causing her to blush, then Hinata returned the embrace and said, " Thank you, Naruto. " Naruto then promised her he would exact revenge on Neji, as Hinata left Kushina decided to take her to the training grounds for a little while then go home.

Round 9: Lee vs. Gaara!

At first none of Lee's taijutsu attacks could penetrate or circumvent Gaara's Shield of Sand Technique until Lee removed the weights on his legs, the speed was such that Gaara couldn't follow the movements and was hit the first time in his life, Lee then tried his Front Lotus on Gaara but was shocked to see only a sand clone, then he opened the Five Chakra Gates which not only increased his strength but left him severly injured, Lee then tried to beat Gaara with his Reverse Lotus, however Gaara used sand to break his fall then used his Sand-Binding Coffin to crush Lee's left arm and leg, Might Guy intervened and regretted teaching Lee about the Five Gates after learning from the medics that Lee could no longer be a ninja because of his injuries, Gaara won the match.

Round 10: Choji vs. Dosu!

Choji at first wanted to forfeit but was reluctant to fight after being promised food by his sensei Asuma if he won, Choji entered the battle with prior-knowledge of Dosu's Sound-Based attacks and quickly used Human Bullet Tank to plug his ears from the Oto ninja's attacks, however Dosu overcame this by transmitting his sound through the water in Choji's body, thus defeating him.

After the preliminaries were done Saratobi announced that the finals would be held in one month so the remaining combatants could prepare.

As Naruto left the arena it was close to sunset and starting to rain, as he walked back to his apartment eager to tell his mom the news he bumped into Sakura who yelled, " Quit it you clumsy idiot! "

Naruto retorted, " It was an accident Sakura, jeez you always have to make a big deal out of everything, why can't you have a good goal like me who wants to become hokage someday? "

What Sakura did next was one of her biggest mistakes that would almost end her career as a ninja, she glared at Naruto and said, " Naruto, ever since your mother showed up you've been acting like everything is going your way. Well the way I see it she's probably just faking her love for you. If everyone else says you're a demon then it must be true because as far as I'm concerned the only reason she went into a coma was to avoid looking at your demonic face, it's only a matter of time before she quits acting like she loves you and abandons you and leaves you alone like everyone else because that's why you are here Naruto. Your only purpose in life is to suffer and be an outlet for peoples anger because you are just a worthless piece of trash who is loved by no one except a demon who is held within you. You will never become anything in this life Naruto, and pretty soon your so-called mother will abandon you just like everyone else! Ha Ha Ha! "

Naruto felt tears of pain forming in his eyes as he thought, _" No No! That's not true! "_

The fox yelled, " Don't listen to her Naruto! "

Naruto shouted in fury, " Sakura, you're the demon here you selfish, heartless, bastard! Don't you ever talk about my mother that again! Otherwise I will break your damn neck! I HATE YOU! " the rage in his voice scared Sakura dreadfully.

Refusing to give into hate, Naruto ran home, when he got there he sat down on the bed and cried his eyes out.

When Kushina returned home, she saw Naruto looking very depressed and asked, " What's wrong sweetheart? "

Naruto answered, " Mom, do you really love me? "

Kushina was confused and answered, " Of couse I do Naruto. "

Naruto then asked, " Would you ever abandon me and cast me out like trash saying your love for me was a trick? "

Kushina was starting to worry and said, " Naruto! I would never abandon you like that! I love you with all my heart and soul! Why are you asking me this? "

Naruto broke down and told her everything Sakura said, after hearing this, Hinata was angry, Kushina was furious and vowed to teach her a lesson about what happens when you make someone doubt their mother's love.

She looked deep into Naruto's eyes and said, " Naruto, don't you ever listen to that stuff again. I am your true mother, I have absolutely no regrets about that, I don't care what you have sealed within or how you are because you are my son and I love you. I would do anything to protect you! Now how do you feel about me? "

Naruto stood up, walked over to a desk where he had a small radio, picked up a disc, put it in the player and replied, " Mom, I use to listen to this song all the time wishing I had a family, now this song will show how much I cherish having you back in my life. " then he hit play, a small tune sounded then the lyrics began,

_( Song: Always There. From Lady and The Tramp 2 )_

_"Always there to warm you in the winter,_

_always there with shelter from the rain,_

_always there to catch you when you're falling,_

_always there to stand you up again,_

_Family. _

_By your side in seconds if you ask it,_

_arms out wide to welcome you to stay,_

_near enough to listen to your hearts song,_

_always there to help you on your way, _

_family, family, family._

_What is a family?_

_Caring and devoted hearts,_

_with endless love to share,_

_love that'll follow you everywhere._

_Always there to welcome you in winter,_

_what is a family?_

_arms out wide to welcome you to stay,_

_right by your side,_

_near enough to listen to your hearts song._

_Always there to help you on your way, Family,_

_Always there, family, family, FAMILY. "_

Then the song ended, by then Naruto was crying terribly while Kushina held him in a soothing embrace.

Afterward Naruto said, " All my life I have been treated like an outcast never being wanted or loved by anyone, after 12 years I finally learn my mother is alive and I finally have a family, something that everyone else here takes for granted, but for me the gift of having a mom in my life is a gift that I embrace and cherish with all my heart and soul because it's something that I never had until now. I have no doubts about you anymore mom, and I love you as well. " then he hugged his mother tighter and started crying with tears of joy.

Kushina smiled, hugged her son and replied with a soothing voice, " It's all right Naruto, I'm back and I won't leave or abandon you like the others, now you stay here, I have something to take care of. "

Naruto smiled and said, " Okay mom, I'll be waiting when you get back. "

Then Kushina wrote a little note and went outside with Hinata leaving Naruto who started watching the television, Kushina went to Hiruzen and explained what happened, Hiruzen was furious and said, " Do what you feel is right, but don't kill Sakura." Kushina nodded and left to speak to Ino about her plan.

At 10pm Sakura opened her front door and found a note which read, _" Meet me at the main arena in 30 minutes, very important subject, Ino. " _Sakura became concerned and headed for the arena, it was raining very hard by the time she got there and the arena roof was old and leaky but Sakura didn't care as she finally got there and went inside, she made her way to the main room and opened the large sliding bar door leading to main arena, once she stepped inside the door slammed and locked behind her, she turned around and there was Ino with a smug look her face as she said, " Nothing personal Sakura but I was asked for help from someone. "

Sakura asked, " You wrote the letter didn't you? "

Then a voice said, " No, I did. "

Sakura looked forward and out of the shadows emerged Kushina dressed in black sandals, black tight pants, and a black sleeveless mesh shirt, she looked extremely mad.

Sakura spoke in a mocking voice, " What do you want with me? "

Kushina replied, " You've been dumb before Sakura, but this time you really did it you little brat! "

Sakura said defiantly, " No one ever calls me that and gets away with it, besides I've done nothing! "

Kushina yelled, " Shut the hell up! You made my son think I would abandon him! You will pay for this! " then she turned and called, " Come on out! "

Then out of the shadows emerged Hinata who shouted, " Sakura you've gone too far this time! You'll pay for what you did to Naruto! "

Sakura laughed and said in a mocking voice, " You have no chance against me Hinata. "

Hinata retorted, " Oh really? " then assumed her stance and said, " Fight me! "

Sakura charged forward flaring her chakra, but Hinata dodged and kicked her in the stomach knocking Sakura to the ground, Sakura jumped up and charged again, but was met with a punch in the face, she started throwing a barrage of attacks but the more disciplined Hinata dodged them all without breaking a sweat then kicked Sakura in the face then grabbed her by the leg and slammed her into the wall, then because of the leaky roof of the room both girls were wet and soaked but Sakura was starting to get very tired against her more trained opponent.

Afterward Hinata was out of breath so Kushina told her to leave and head back to their apartment, but Hinata refused saying she wasn't leaving until Sakura was punished.

So Kushina told Hinata her idea on punishing Sakura to which Hinata agreed and got ready.

Then Kushina replied, " You are without a doubt the most disgusting and weakest piece of shit I have ever seen, you think you're so tough when all you do is prey on my son's emotions and humiliate him! Well this time I'm gonna humiliate you and show how weak you really are! "

Sakura was losing strength and felt exhausted, so she got up for one more attack and moved towards Kushina who said, " Ah, Yes. I was wondering what would be the first to go… " then as Sakura attempted to punch her opponent, Hinata pushed her to the ground while Kushina said, " Your spirit…" then she picked Sakura up over her head and screamed, " Or your body! "

Then Kushina threw Sakura down and slammed her across her knee as hard as she could striking a set of pressure points near the spine, then Sakura screamed and fell to the floor with a dislocated vertebra, an injury that would put her out of comission for days, as Ino watched she thought, _" Remind me to never get her angry. " _

Taking this as her cue, Hinata decided to leave which Kushina agreed and told her to go.

She then tore Sakura's headband off and shouted, " I still hope you can be a Kunoichi without your headband! " then she tossed it to the floor with a clang, turned to Ino and said, " Take her to the hospital. "

Ino opened the door with some medics and lifted Sakura up on a stretcher and carried her away as Kushina said, " The next time you talk to my son like that you'll get worse, he cried for like 30 minutes! He struggles day in and day out to accomplish his dreams and you torment and ridicule him! Your back isn't broken I just hit a few pressure points in the spine that'll leave you paralyzed for just a few days! What do you have to say for yourself ?! "

Sakura answered sadly, " I'm truly sorry Lady Kushina it won't ever happen again, please forgive me ma'am. "

Kushina replied, " The only way i'll forgive you is if Naruto does, because you really hurt his feelings, i'm the only family he has left, he's lived his whole life without anyone to love him, your words were extremely cruel. "

Sakura nodded with tears and said, " Tell Naruto that if he hates me then he has every reason to, wether he forgives me or not I just want him to know i'm sorry."

Kushina nodded then she left and bought some chicken from a nearby café then headed back knowing Naruto might be worried.

When Kushina got home she saw Naruto and Hinata watching a movie, when they heard her come in, Naruto rushed to his mother concerned and asked, " Mother where were you? you're soaked! What happened? "

Kushina smiled and said, " Don't worry you two, I'm fine. I took care of Sakura. "

Naruto looked worried and asked, " You didn't kill her did you? "

Kushina laughed and replied, " No No No, I didn't, let's just she won't be fighting for a while. I brought some chicken for dinner, you two hungry? "

Naruto and Hinata both said in unison, " Yes! "

Kushina snickered and started making plates, by the time they were finished it was 11:30 at night so they all got in their night clothing and went to bed.

Before they went to sleep Kushina told Naruto what Sakura said, Naruto thought for a moment and said, " Mom, wait here for a moment. " then using his shinobi speed, Naruto made his way to the hospital and found Sakura's room.

As Sakura lay in the darkness of her room in the hospital she heard the window open and a figure step in, then when the lights came on there was Naruto.

Sakura looked up sadly and replied " Naruto before you yell at me for what I did- "

Whatever she was going to say died as Naruto answered, " No, Sakura. I'm not here to yell at you. I came to say I forgive you."

Sakura was stunned and asked, "Really? "

Naruto said, " Yes Sakura, even though you really hurt me, i'm willing to let this whole thing go if you're really sorry, I never meant for my mom to clobber you like this but I hope you learned something valuable here, I forgive you Sakura. "

She said, " Naruto, I'm so very sorry for how I treated you. But I must know, why is the Kyuubi inside of you? I thought the 4th Hokage defeated it 12 years ago. "

Naruto answered, " Sakura, many people don't know this, but it's impossible for a mere shinobi to defeat a creature as powerful as the Nine-tails. Even the 4th Hokage, the strongest ninja at that time, proved to be no match against it. The only way to stop the Nine-tails was to imprison it inside a newborn infant whose chakra networks weren't even developed."

Upon hearing this, Sakura was shocked, a moment later she asked, " Which means that the infant was you Naruto? "

He said, " Yes Sakura, it was me. I was branded as a Jinchuriki, and because of that, I was treated like a disease. People refused to acknowledge me, always gave me cold shoulders, told their kids to avoid me, and even taught them to hate me, all because they saw me as the Kyuubi in human form."

Sakura was already beginning to feel even more shameful about herself because of how she behaved towards him when all he was trying to do was show how caring he was and that he wanted to set a good example as a leaf shinobi of Konoha.

A moment later she spoke, " Naruto, what I did to you was cruel and uncalled for. I was arrogant and selfish. I can understand if you feel resentment at me for this. "

Naruto smiled and said, " Even though you were extremely selfish Sakura, revenge only causes more bad feelings. So if you're really sorry, the best thing to do is let it go and move on. I forgive you Sakura. "

Sakura smiled, " You really are a caring person Naruto. When I recover, do you want to go out on a date with me? "

Naruto sighed and answered, " Sakura I hate to disappoint you, but I have someone else already in mind that I seem to be in love with. "

Sakura nodded and responded, " I'm guessing it's Hinata? "

Naruto nodded.

Sakura smirked and said, " Yeah, I actually had a feeling about that, I hope we can still be friends though Naruto. "

Naruto smiled and replied, " We'll see what happens, goodnight Sakura. "

Sakura smiled and answered, " Goodnight Naruto. "

Then Naruto shut off the light, jumped out the window and headed back to his apartment.

When Naruto got home he told his mom and Hinata everything he told Sakura.

Kushina replied, " I might have gone a little too far with Sakura myself, but if that's the case then I forgive her. "

Hinata spoke, " Me too. "

Then the trio went to bed.

Hinata slept happily thanks to Naruto's words of praise.

Naruto slept peacefully knowing that there was no longer any doubt about his mothers love him.

Kushina fell asleep smiling at fact that she had taught Sakura what happens when you interfere with a mothers love.

With that the group fell asleep looking forward to a fun day tomorrow.

End of chapter 10.

Note: There you go everyone, by the way the punishing blow I promised is from one of my favorite scenes in The Dark Knight Rises where Bane breaks Batman's back, next chapter will show the finals, the original chapter was too overboard so I had to change a few things, but I still have certain ideas that I may or may not use, so we'll see what happens.

Note: I don't own The Dark Knight or Disney, this is just my imagination.

Have a nice day.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Chunin Exam Finals…?

Note: there will be some council bashing and a few timeskips in this chapter, but it will stay as close to the story as possible.

It was 9am the next morning after the Sakura incident, Kushina, Hinata, and Naruto had already finished breakfast and were at the training grounds exercising when an ANBU appeared and said, " Lady Uzumaki, sorry for interrupting but the Hokage has requested your prescence for a council meeting. " then left.

Kushina thought, _" This can only mean one thing." _then she gathered Naruto and Hinata and the group made their way to the council chambers, after telling Hinata to wait outside, Kushina went inside with Naruto to address the council.

A member of the civilian council spoke, " Kushina, do you know why we have summoned you? "

Kushina responded, " I'm afraid not. " although she was suspicious.

A second member of the civilian council said, " We have called you here to answer for what happened last night, and why you attacked an innocent child in such a savage way. "

Hiashi who was present at the council spoke up, " That is an outrage, Kushina and myself were old friends, I know she would never attack someone without a good reason! "

Saratobi shouted, " Enough! Let Kushina explain. "

Kushina retorted, " I'm not sorry! I did what I did because she verbally assaulted and humiliated my son, and all I did was leave her incapacitated for a few days! "

Inoichi announced, " What exactly did Sakura do or say that upset you so much? "

Naruto stepped forward and replied, " I will answer that. " then Naruto recited everything Sakura mentioned.

When he was done the clan members on the council were furious, while the civilian members just laughed then one said, " That is the most ridiculous excuse I've ever heard! All she was doing was telling the truth! That boy is nothing but a vicious demon! We should have killed him before you showed up Kushina, now I'm afraid we'll have to prosecute you for insubordination and false accusations about being his mother. "

Hiruzen glared, " Prosecute her for defending her son?! I forbid it! And besides you're the ones who made his life more and more miserable by turning down anyone who wanted to take him in ! "

Kushina angrily asked, " Turning down anyone who wanted to take him in?! "

Tsume Inuzuka, head of the Inuzuka clan clarified, " Truth be told Kushina, when I heard about what happened the night of the attack and that you were supposedly dead, convinced that Naruto was an orphan, I would have been honored to raise an Uzumaki myself, so I immediately threw in a request to adopt him only to be turned down because of a stupid reason! "

Hiashi replied, " It was the same with me. I too filed a request to adopt Naruto which was also rejected due to a ridiculous outrage! "

Inoichi stated, " I was greeted with the same stupid excuse when I filed a request as well ! "

Kurenai shouted, " I wanted to help the poor kid also, but they gave me the same useless reason! "

Naruto was stunned at what he was hearing and thought, _" What?! All these people wanted to adopt me? And their requests were turned down?! What excuse could the counsel have to turn me down?! I want to know! "_

The Nine-Tails was thinking the exact same thing.

Kushina asked Kurenai, " Kurenai, what possible excuse did they give you to justify denying my son a home? "

Kurenai replied, " You wouldn't believe us even if we told you."

Kushina looked right at her and said, " Tell me. "

Hiashi answered, " Here's what they said Kushina. Each time a request was put in to adopt Naruto, the council turned each and everyone down saying that to allow any of us to adopt him was against the law, would dishonor Konoha, and because they would have no use for demon lovers. Can you believe that?! "

Saratobi was angry about this.

Kushina was furious.

Upon hearing this Naruto was enraged and shouted, " Rise Kurama! Lets teach these fools a lesson! "

Then in a flash of red chakra there was the Kyuubi standing 2 stories tall and looking very fierce, everyone on the civilian side panicked and funneled to the back of the room while the clan members and shinobi watched in awe.

Naruto locked the doors and winked at the Hokage.

As the civilian council moved to the back of the room some began shouting, " Demon! Quick we have to do something! Get the boy! We must kill the demon! "

The Kyuubi roared, **" Silence! Silence all of you! "**

Then all at once the room fell silent and the Nine-Tails continued, " You assholes have pissed me off for the last time! You will never hurt Naruto or Kushina! Not with me around! And for the record my name is Kurama! "

Then he turned to Saratobi and said, " Don't think that leaves you off the hook old man. You have been too gentle as Hokage thus allowing the council to get away with their crimes toward Naruto! "

Turning back to the council he shouted, " I can no longer stand by and watch you people destroy his life with your hypocrisy and paranoia! He is not a demon! He is my vessel and the one I have sworn to protect so anyone who dares to hurt him will suffer my wrath! The knowledge of Naruto being my vessel was supposed to be kept secret, but obviously someone leaked it so I demand to know who! "

Saratobi stepped forward and said, " I'm not sure who it was, but I assure that person will be punished accordingly to the ultimate once we find him. "

Then the Kushina said, " I hope so Hiruzen for your sake, Kurama is not as forgiving as I am."

Afterward the fox explained why he attacked Konoha all those years ago and how he vowed to attone for it by protecting Naruto until they found the one responsible, as they listened most members understood especially the clan members while some of the civilian side weren't entirely convinced.

Then the Nine-Tails vanished as the civilian council said, " Weather that's true or not, there is no evidence of this woman being Naruto's mother, we must ask to be shown proof. "

Afterward Saratobi stepped forward and called, " It's clear that the council believes that Kushina is not the true mother of Naruto."

Naruto was scared about this as tears of dread started forming in his eyes, in his mind the fox asked, " Naruto what's wrong? " then Naruto said, " The council believes she isn't my mom and that I'm really an orphan, I hope that's not true. "

The Third announced, " I had a feeling this would happen, so I had a paternity DNA test done yesterday to prove she is Naruto's mom, the results will arrive soon. "

Kushina showed no signs of being worried, but Hiruzen noticed that Naruto was shaking and crying, so he asked, " Naruto, what's the matter? "

The boy answered, " I'm so scared about what the test is going to show about her, I pray to god she's my mom. "

5 minutes later a doctor came in and handed the test results to Saratobi who said, " It's time to see what the results are. "

Naruto was shivering with fear as Saratobi read the report and announced, " In the case of 12 year old Naruto, Kushina… you ARE his mother! "

Naruto jumped up screaming, " Yes! Yes! Thank God! Thank God! Oh thank God! " then as Kushina got down on her knees and happily embraced Naruto with a smile of relief, he hugged her back as tightly as possible crying uncontrollably with tears of joy.

As the council watched, many of them couldn't help but feel emotional while observing the joyful love between mother and son, many of them were starting to have the exact same thought, _" There is no greater joy than being held in the loving arms of a mother."_

Then the Hokage said, " In light of all this I'm calling a vote, everyone in favor of pressing charges say aye.

Silence.

Hiruzen then said, " All in favor of dimissing charges? "

Everyone said yes.

Saratobi announced, " Charges dismissed, although I would have dismissed them anyway, I have been too gentle as Hokage, therefore everyone who wants to press charges will hereby be relieved of their status as a council member and will serve 6 months in prison for sabotage as well as aiding and abetting. Understood? "

Everyone nodded, then Hiruzen said, " Council adjourned."

Once everyone was out of the room Hiruzen walked over to Naruto who was still crying while hugging his mom and said calmly, " Naruto I know at first you were scared that the council may have been right, but now you know the truth, Kushina is your true mother."

Naruto, still enveloped in his mom's embrace responded in a tearful, happy voice, " Thank god."

Saratobi smiled and said, " Now, why don't you two go home and be a happy family together? "

Naruto nodded as Kushina stood up, took Naruto's hand and replied cheerfully, " Come, my son. Let's go home." Naruto nodded and left with her.

_Meanwhile at the hospital..._

Kushina, Naruto, and Hinata stopped by the hospital to visit Sakura, they had heard that the doctors were having trouble fixing her back.

When they reached Sakura's room, Naruto was stunned to see her on the floor not even able to lift herself up as well as feeling constant pain.

So he walked over and said, " Sakura, stop moving! You're making it worse! "

Sakura heard him and replied, " Oh Naruto. The doctors aren't sure what to do, how will I ever heal ? "

Naruto smiled and replied, " You'll recover soon Sakura, but first we must fix your back. And there's only one way to do it, so you're gonna have to endure some pain I fear. "

Sakura said determined, " I don't care Naruto. I trust you. "

Naruto stood up and said, " Mom, Hinata, is there any rope? "

Hinata reached into her pocket and pulled out 20 feet of thin but sturdy nylon rope which she carried everywhere and asked, " Will this do, Naruto ? "

Naruto took the rope and answered, " This is perfect. Now Hinata, you and mom roll Sakura over on her back, while I tie this rope up. "

Kushina walked over and with Hinata's help, gently rolled Sakura over as Naruto tied a harness on one end of the rope, and looped the other end over a pipe attached to the sealing.

When they were finished, Naruto lopped the harness under Sakura's arms and shoulders and slowly pulled her up to her standing height.

Sakura screamed a little as Naruto slowly pulled her up until she hung just 2 inches above the floor, then he tied the rope to a water valve in the corner of the room.

Sakura was wearing a special hospital gown that covered most of her body as well as her behind but left her back entirely exposed which allowed Naruto to see what he was dealing with.

As he examined her back, he replied, " There's a vertebra slightly protruding from your back Sakura. It needs to be put back into place. You ready? "

Sakura nodded that she was ready.

Naruto gripped her shoulder with his left hand, reached back with his right hand flat, and said, " 1 2 3 ! " then he brought his hand forward and slammed it against Sakura's back as hard as he could.

With a loud crack, Sakura screamed as her vertebra was pushed back into place and her spinal cord was realigned, then Naruto moved around to face Sakura and replied, " You must remain like this until you can stand. "

Naruto went over to the nurse Tomochan and said, " Check on her every 2 hours each day and see if she stand up, if not leave her in the harness so all the nerve receptors and joints can reconnect.

Tomochan nodded as the group left.

Timeskip_ 2 weeks._

After two weeks of recovery and retraining, Sakura Haruno was back on her feet and returned to active ninja duty.

She thanked Naruto for helping her recover, at the same time she expressed her happiness for Naruto that he had gotten his mother back and apologized.

Then she asked Naruto if he still wanted to be friends to which he replied, " Well…sure. We're still friends Sakura, to the end because that's our ninja way."

Sakura nodded with a smile then after a final handshake the two friends went back to work.

_Timeskip 2 weeks, 2 days._

It had been a full month since the preliminary matches, during the month Naruto met Jiraiya, another sannin for the first time who agreed to be his sensei, at first Kushina was against it because of Jiraiya's perverted habits, but the sannin assured her that he wouldn't expose her son to that stuff, Kushina reluctantly agreed.

Under Jiraiya, Naruto learned better chakra control by practicing walking on water and learned how to use the summoning technique to call the giant toad, Gamabunta to his aid, but was so exhausted after training that Kushina carried him to the hospital.

Also during the month, Dosu was killed by Gaara after attempting to asassinate him, Hayate was also murdered by Baki, a sand sibling jonin after overhearing his conversation with Kabuto about invasion plans for Konoha, Gaara also attempted to kill Lee one day before the finals but was stopped by Naruto and Shikamaru, Gaara then revealed his past which made Naruto realize they both had similar histories of predjudice, before Guy stepped in and forced Gaara to leave, also after Hayate was murdered during the one month break, Genma Shiranui took his place as the proctor for the final exams.

Round 1: Naruto vs. Neji!

The fight between Naruto and Neji was a very dramatic one, during the fight Neji lectured Naruto as much as he did Hinata by saying that failures always remain failures and nothing ever changes.

Even when Neji explained about the Cage Bird Seal and said, " You don't know what it's like to bear a mark that can never be erased! " Naruto never even flinched.

His reaction was, " You're wrong Neji. I know that all too well. The mark that I bear is far greater than yours will ever be, because I bear the mark of a Jinchuriki! "

This declaration stunned Neji who like everyone else in the stadium was surprised by Naruto's resolve.

Naruto eventually won with determination, a little help from his partner, and sheer belief in victory. In the process he also changed Neji's outlook on life and made him realize destiny could be changed, after that, the two became great friends ever since.

Round 2: Shino vs. Kankuro!

The fight ended by default because Kankuro forfeited to keep his techniques a secret.

Round 3: Temari vs. Skikamaru!

Both combatants were excellent strategists, but Shikamaru was better, throughout the battle it seemed like he was using pointless attacks, but he was actually five steps ahead and was able to corner Temari and attack from behind using the tunnel from Naruto's battle with Neji to extend his shadow technique, this took control of Temari's body forcing her to imitate all of Shikamaru's moves, although he could have won he quit saying he was low on chakra, but his real reason was seen by some people as being lazy and saw no point in winning. He also didn't want to hurt a girl.

Before the next match Kushina who was watching from the stands with Hinata suddenly felt uneasy as if something was wrong, all those years as a ninja taught her to trust her instincts, so she took Hinata and left the stands, she found Naruto resting near the main entrance and said, " Naruto we need to leave this place at once! "

Naruto was confused and asked, " What's wrong mom? "

Kushina answered, " Trust me, I've got a terrible feeling. Follow me! " then without a moment's hesitation Naruto hurried after her.

Round 4: Sasuke vs. Gaara!

Sasuke arrived just in time for the match, he demonstrated that his speed had vastly increased to where the sand guarding Gaara could not keep up, Sasuke also demonstrated Chidori, a technique he had learned from Kakashi to injure Gaara.

Before the match could finish however, a smoke bomb went off in the Kages box, Kabuto who was really working with Orochimaru used the genjutsu to put almost everyone in the crowd to sleep, little did Kabuto realize that his plans were about to be thwarted by a group of people who had managed to escape detection.

Thus began The Invasion Of Konaha…

End Of Chapter 11

Note: in the anime Sasuke's fight with Gaara was postponed to the last round, but to avoid confusion I renamed the matches so they wouldn't be confusing, next chapter will handle Konaha's invasion.

Note: The whole DNA test was something from an episode of a show I used to watch called, " The Maury Show " where 2 months after the birth of a married couple's son the wife told her husband she cheated on him and that the boy probably wasn't his, then the tests confirmed he did father the child causing him overwhelming joy. The scene was so joyous that I decided to use some of it here because it just made me feel all emotional.

Also for those of you who don't know, how do you perform a paternity test with a mother ? Simple: by analyzing the mitochondrial DNA in the child, because when a child is born, mitochondrial DNA is always passed from the mother. So in my story, the test was done by compairing and matching Kushina's DNA with the mitochondrial DNA in Naruto. I hope this clears up any confusion about the test.

Note: I don't own the Maury show, this is just my imagination.

Hope you all enjoyed this, have a nice day.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Konoha Invasion!

Note: there will a few changes here because I have Naruto, Kushina and Hinata all present, so a few things will occur differently but Naruto and Gaara will have their battle like in the anime, also Kushina will be fighting in this chapter too, I've decided that she will be using standard ninja weapons as well as a katana with a red handle. Let's get started!

The viewers in the stadium watched in horror as the smoke filled the room until they fell asleep, a few people who managed to outsmart the genjutsu were Sakura, Gaara, Sasuke, and Kurenai as Orochimaru barged in the stadium, and engaged Saratobi in battle where no one could interfere.

Meanwhile as Naruto's group escaped the stadium they looked on in horror as enemy ninja began bursting through the walls and all available Konoha shinobi engaged them in battle, they raced back to the apartment as quickly as possible, once inside Kushina warned Hinata to stay put and told Naruto to go help his friends, so Naruto went to a draw, pulled out his ANBU Special Operations Sword, put it in his pocket and threw on his cloak, Kushina put on her old Jonin uniform, picked up her own sword, strapped it to her back, attached her kunai holster to her leg, fastened her shiruken pouch to her belt, then threw on her special ninja sandals ( Same as Naruto's with foot coverings ) and was ready for battle, before she left she said to Naruto, " Naruto, be very careful. We have no idea what to expect. "

Naruto replied, " Don't worry mom, please be careful. I don't want to lose you. "

Kushina smiled and answered, " I'll be alright sweetheart. Remember, I wasn't called The Crimson Death for nothing. "

After hearing that Naruto nodded with a smile, then after one final hug the two headed to battle.

Meanwhile at the stadium as the battle between Orochimaru and Saratobi raged on, Kurenai and Sakura dispelled the genjutsu and evacuated the stadium, suddenly Gaara and his siblings took off running with Sasuke in hot pursuit, Kakashi ordered Sakura to gather a team and go after Sasuke, at the same time 120 Oto and Suna nin broke through Konoha's outer defenses and began attacking, fighting on the lines Kushina stabbed on enemy in the gut then cut down another with a slash to the head, at the same time Naruto was desperately heading after Gaara and the others hoping he wasn't too late.

When Sasuke finally caught up with Gaara he resumed their fight from earlier, Gaara lunged at Sasuke who backfliped out of the way and struck back with a whirlwind kick to Gaara's face, Gaara infuriated by that delivered a vicious uppercut to Sasuke's abdominal causing him to cough up a little blood, Sasuke recovered and continued to fight eventually driving Gaara mad enough to utilize his One-Tail powers as he transformed half-way into Shukaku, after the tranformation Sasuke used his last chidori attacks which had no effect on Gaara who beat Sasuke within an inch of his life causing him to lose conciousness, then Gaara closed in to finish him.

But by then after a brief encounter with Gaara's siblings Sakura and Naruto arrived, the sight of Sasuke's friends coming to his aid forced Gaara to relive his painful childhood as he pinned Sakura to a tree with his sand power, intrigued by Naruto's victory over Neji, Gaara forced Naruto to fight by threatening to crush Sakura.

Even though Naruto was terrified, he ran into battle, although Gaara seemed to have the upper hand, Naruto attacked the lower base of the tail using his rendition of One Thousand Years Of Death to bypass Gaara's defenses, then Naruto did his hand signs and shouted, " Shadow Clone Jutsu! " after taking a beating from Naruto's shadow clones Gaara became enraged and allowed Shukaku to take full control of his body, thus the full form of Shukaku emerged!

Naruto mentally replied to his nine-tailed partner Kurama, " Okay, buddy here is the plan: While I free the hostages you hold him off until I can join you. "

Kurama answered, " Understood Naruto. Be careful! "

Naruto then shouted, " Arise Nine-tails! "

Then the Kyuubi emerged and charged in shouting, " Shukaku stop this! "

Shukaku was stunned to see the mighty Nine-Tails on the battlefield then growled, " Once you're out of the way, I'll deal with your host and his little friends! "

Kurama roared ferociously, **" I will not allow that! " **then he and Shukaku began their fierce battle.

With Gaara distracted by Kurama, Naruto quickly leaped to the side and with a swing of his sword cut Sakura free, then grabbed Sasuke and pulled his friends to safety then summoned Gambunta and told him to carry his friends to safety which the giant toad obliged, then Naruto went back to deal with Gaara.

With Hiruzen…

When the invasion began Hiruzen was taken by Kazekage who revealed himself as Orochimaru and forced to battle him, as the Third's former student infiltrated the village and planned Konoha's destruction just so he could kill Hiruzen and kidnap Sasuke Uchiha.

Soon after the battle began Orochimaru reincarnated Hashimaru and Tobirama so that Hiruzen could feel the enjoyment of fighting his former masters.

Hiruzen quickly resolved to kill his masters and used a very powerful fire technique that was easily countered by one of Tobirama's walls of water that was then turned into an attack that was stopped by Hiruzen's own earth wall.

Hiruzen was then however caught by Hashirama's wood release.

Even after summoning Enma to free himself from it, Hiruzen, in his old age was unable to defeat the two Hokage, as any damage he did simply regenerated, he was futher inhibited by his desire not to hurt either.

Hiruzen's fight was also impeded by Orochimaru's presence, horrified at seeing just how monstrous his former student had become through mastering Living Corpse Reanimation and his intentions to use it on Sasuke.

Left with no other choice, Hiruzen created 2 shadow clones while executing Dead Demon Consuming Seal on his former masters to stop them, as he bid a heartfelt farewell to his teachers, he turned his attention to Orochimaru and revealed the technique's double-edge as he must sacriface both his soul and those of his predecessors to the Shinigami.

Intending to have Orochimaru join them in the spectre's stomach while throwing aside his former pupil's Kusanagi, Hiruzen attempted to seal Orochimaru's soul as well, realizing it as he start's to see the Shinigami, Orochimaru called his Kusanagi to him stabbing Hiruzen in the back, despite the fatal injury, Hiruzen continued trying to remove Orochimaru's soul as his death would come one way or the other.

With Kushina…

Fighting on the front lines with the invading nin, the shin obi of Konoha were starting to get the upper hand thanks to Kushina as she dodged an attack then stabbed her enemy in the throat, the backflipped away from another strike and slashed another enemy across the chest killing him instantly, a moment later she heard a voice yell, " Who started the party without me? " she turned and there was Kurenai.

Kushina tossed her a tanto as the two closed together in a back-to-back cover formation, Kushina's first response was a smirk then she replied, " You call this a party? "

Kurenai laughed and asked, " Your not having any fun? " then the 2 women continued to fight back to back as the battle continued.

With Naruto…

As the battle between Naruto and Gaara raged on, Kurama managed to subdue Shukaku enough to where Naruto was able to wake Gaara up, after that Gaara used his sand to trap Naruto, temporarily using a little of the Nine-Tails chakra, Naruto broke free and butted foreheads with Gaara.

The sudden blow caused Shukaku to crumble, as the two boys fell to the ground Sakura and Sasuke finally regained conciousness, exhausted from fighting Gaara ran towards Naruto ready for the final blow, Naruto with the last of his chakra, ran at Gaara and landed a punch right in Gaara's face defeating him.

Afterward, Naruto explained to Gaara that they were the same, both having been shunned their entire lives because their status as jinchuriki's, but Naruto also explained that his strength came his desire to protect the ones he loves, his words reached Gaara causing him to have a change of heart, then he retreated with Kankuro and Temari after openly apologizing to them.

As Sasuke and Sakura made their way to the battle scene, Sakura thanked Sasuke for saving her, but Sasuke told her it was Naruto who saved her which surprised Sakura much to Sasuke's dismay, as the two entered the clearing there was no sign of Gaara, they saw Naruto and the Kyuubi on the far side of the clearing with Naruto looking extremely tired.

Sasuke then asked, " What happened to Gaara? "

Naruto answered, " It's fine Sasuke, I beat him. He retreated with his siblings. "

Sakura sighed and replied, " Thanks for saving me back there Naruto. "

Naruto said, " Don't mention it Sakura." then he lost consciousness.

But before he hit the ground, Kurama caught him and said, " He's unconscious! I'll get him to the hospital. Here, get him on my back quickly! "

Sasuke and Sakura lifted Naruto up and put him Kurama's back.

The Kyuubi stood up very slowly to avoid dropping Naruto then replied, " It's okay little buddy, I got you. " then he carried him to the hospital with his friends following close behind.

With Hiruzen…

After an hour of struggling, Hiruzen came to accept that his old age had left him too weak to completely seal Orochimaru away, seeing that removing Orochimaru's soul was impossible, yet his desire to redeem himself for allowing his former students escape, Hiruzen decided instead to have the shinigami take Orochimaru's arms to rob him of using ninjutsu as punishment for his obsession for power.

As Orochimaru began to curse his former master for the act, Hiruzen bid his former student farewell as collapsed with the hope they would meet again, seeing Orochimaru as the boy he once was, Hiruzen died with a smile on his face knowing he saved Konoha and it's next generation that would come.

Then Orochimaru fled and ordered retreat to his army.

With Kushina…

Kushina watched as the enemy began to pull back and retreat, then once they were gone ther was a huge roar of victory as they knew Konoha was safe, then she yelled at the others to make sure the civilians were alright, as the shinobi took off, Kushina sheathed her sword and went to find Naruto and Hinata, at the apartment she saw that Hinata was safe and sound and told the enemy was gone and she would return soon, Hinata nodded as Kushina left.

As she walked down the streets of the battlescene she heard a voice yell, " Kushina! " she turned around and saw the Nine-Tails as well as Sakura and Sasuke running towards her, when they caught up to her she shouted, " Where's my son?! Is he alright? "

Kurama lowered Naruto to the ground and replied, " It's alright, he beat Gaara and sent him fleeing with the rest. He's unconscious but he's okay. Get him to the hospital fast. "

Kushina picked up Naruto and rushed him to the hospital, when she arrived the first nurse she saw responded without her having to say anything, the moment the nurse saw Kushina holding her unconcious son, she responded, " Don't worry Kushina, he's in good hands." as she took Naruto with a smile, put him on a stretcher and rolled him to the critical ward with her team.

When the nurse returned she told Kushina that Naruto's injuries were not life-threatening or really serious, but it would take a full week for him to recover from his ordeal, then took Kushina to his room, what she saw filled her with sadness, Naruto was layed out on a hospital bed with an I-V in both his arms pumping medicine and nutrients into him as well as a breath mask over his face to help him breath, but she knew her son was in good hands because she recognized the nurse as an old friend of hers from years ago named Tomochan Shinodo.

Back when Kushina was an active ninja, everytime she was injured it was Tomochan who took care of her, and overtime both of them became best friends, after Kushina fell into a coma, Tomochan was deeply saddened about it but vowed to help her best friends son in any way she could, so each time Naruto was in the hospital, Tomochan and her team of doctors took care of him like they did Kushina.

Tomochan said, " Kushina, i have to say that even though i was the one who cared for Naruto when he was injured, all those times i took care of your son, my thoughts kept drifting to you laying in a coma in that dimly lit room in the Coma-Patient-Ward as i thought, _" Oh Kushina. If only you could be here by your son's side to show him your love." _it was so heartbreaking for me to see him suffer without someone to comfort him, but i couldn't say anything because it could've been disastrous. "

Kushina smiled and replied, " I'm sorry i couldn't be there Tomochan, but the fact that you took care of my little boy all this time makes me happy, because even though i was a jinchuriki before him, you were the only nurse who saw the real me and helped me out, and that's why we became friends. "

The 2 women smiled and shook hands, then Tomochan left the room.

The invading shinobi had been driven from Konoha and village was safe, but at a terrible cost, dozens of ninja and buildings had fallen, Saratobi was dead and the village was left with no Hokage.

After learning about what happened to Naruto, Jiraiya went to the hospital and told Kushina what happened to Saratobi and that his funeral would be in 8 days, Kushina understood but refused to leave Naruto's side until he was better.

Back at Naruto's apartment, Hinata was getting worried so she went outside and was shocked at the devestation around her, as she walked through the rubble-covered streets she ran into Sakura and asked what happened, when Sakura finished explaining about the invasion, Hinata was horrified and asked, " Where's Naruto? "

Sakura answered, " He was injured while battling Gaara, he's in the hospital right now. "

Hinata nodded with worry and raced off to the hospital.

When she arrived, she asked were Naruto was and a doctor replied, " Room #105, 2nd floor. " Hinata said thank you and headed to Naruto's room, when she got in seeing the condition that Naruto was in simply broke her heart, she told Kushina that she didn't want to leave until Naruto recovered, Kushina agreed.

Late that night when Hinata was fast asleep in a chair next to Naruto's hospital bed, Kushina was still awake and writing a report in her journal when Hiashi arrived, upon seeing him Kushina asked, " Hiashi what brings you here? I never expected you to show up. "

Hinata's father answered, " I came to check up on Hinata, i wanted to know if she was okay." then seeing her asleep in a chair, he smiled knowing she was fine.

Next he said quietly, " Kushina, i managed to make the elders think i exiled her after our little deal, so none of them know she's with you, the only ones who know are me, Neji, Hizashi, and her little sister Hanabi, also next year when Hinata is 14, i need to see her at the Hyuga compound for something very important. "

Kushina nodded and asked, " And what would that be Hiashi ? "

Hiashi grinned and said, " It's about a little inheritance her mother left her when she died, something she wanted Hinata to carry with her to the next generation."

Kushina responded, " Very well, i'll make sure it's taken care of."

Hiashi smiled, bowed then left the room, after that Kushina closed her journal and went to sleep on the couch on the far side of the room.

Despite the damage in Konoha, not one civilian had been killed which was a great relief but everyone was deeply saddened at the loss of their beloved leader, but where one journey ends another begins, and soon would begin a new chapter in Konoha's history.

End of Chapter 12

Hope you all enjoyed!

I finally have the invasion of Konoha done and move on with the story, Believe it!

Thank you!


	14. Notes and info

Notes and info.

First and foremost, I designed a plot twist for the start of shippuden, with a little help from my brother, I set up a little twist that none of you will see coming, it's going to throw you completely off guard.

Second, i mentioned in an earlier not that i wasn't sure about retrieving Sasuke, now i've decided, he will be retrieved but not in the retrieval arc.

He will retrieved after Pein's invasion, I devised a special plan for retrieving Sasuke.

Thirdly, a while back, I set up a poll on what kind of weapon would be suitable for Hinata to wield, the winning weapon will be revealed after Naruto leaves with Jiraiya.

Lastly, The Search For Tsunade Chapters are up and ready!

I also had something else brought to my attention, i know that the Senju and Uzumaki clans are connected, Tsunade being the grandaughter of Hashirama Senju and Mito Uzumaki, but i don't know how Kushina fits in, was she Mito's daughter or her sister? i don't know.

But thankfully, someone gave me the info, so I can make all relationships clear in this story to avoid confusion.

On may 7th 2013, I found out my cousin was diagnosed with cancer, a week later I got word from the hospital on her condition, it took the doctors 8 hours, but they located the cancer source and removed it before it could worsen.

The surgery was a success, the tumors were uprooted and removed, she survived and after 7 days in recovery, she came home.

The emergency has passed and all is well, stand by because my story will be updated soon.

I'm always open to ideas! Have a nice day.


	15. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: A Day of Mourning, A Mother's Tears.

Note: This chapter will cover Hiruzen's funeral, the next chapter will start the Search For Tsunade. Since I don't know how the funeral happened, I'm making my own version. Oh and by the way, I planted another song in this chapter, a few months ago my dad had leg surgery, this song described how I felt about it. Like before, you have to listen to the song while reading this to understand it. So let's go.

It had been 3 days since Konoha's invasion by Orochimaru, everyone available was doing whatever they could to help repair the damage.

Kurenai stood outside the hospital checking her schedule when Kushina arrived with a look of heartbreak on her face, as usual she came to the hospital to check on her son Naruto who still hadn't woken up from his battle with Gaara.

Kurenai asked, " Is everything alright Kushina? "

Kushina answered, " I'm afraid not Kurenai, the worst isn't even over, remember we still have to deal with the fact that our beloved Hokage is dead. "

The genjutsu mistress said, " Yeah, I guess you're right. So tell me, is the village all cleaned up now? "

Kushina replied, " No, not yet. There are still buildings to be repaired, and other wounded yet to be healed. But we're making progress so before long everything should be back to normal for a while at least."

Kurenai said, " That's good news. "

Kushina then said, " Now if you'll excuse me, I need to see how my son is doing. "

Kurenai nodded and watched as her fellow comrade walked into the hospital.

When she entered Naruto's room she found nothing had changed, he was still asleep, the I-V's were still in his arms, and he was still using the oxygen mask to breath.

Any woman in Konoha who was a mother would undeniably feel the exact same way Kushina felt seeing her only son in such dreadful shape, she put her hand against her chest feeling the pain in her heart, tears began to roll down her cheeks as she thought, _" If only I could've been there for you sweetheart."_

Kushina pulled up a chair so she could sit next to Naruto's bed, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a disc and replied softly, " Sweetheart, I don't know if you can hear me, but I was at a café eating lunch 2 days ago when I heard this song playing, as I listened to it, I couldn't stop thinking about you. I asked the manager if I could have a copy of that song and he said yes and I would have it in 2 days. So I pray this song helps you because it shows how terrible I feel to look at you this way. "

Sitting beside her on a small table was the radio she brought from their apartment, she plugged it in, put the disk in, lowered the volume, then she reached out and held Naruto's hand in her own before hitting the play button, with tears streaming down her face, she held her son's hand and silently began mouthing the words of the song as it started playing.

_( Song: Save You by Simple Plan. I don't own Simple Plan.)_

"_Take a breath, I pull myself together,_

_Just another step until I reach the door,_

_You'll never know the way it tares me up inside to see you,_

_Ohhhhh, ohhhhh,_

_I wish that I could tell you something, _

_Ohhhhh, ohhhhh,_

_To take it all away,_

_Sometimes I wish I could save you,_

_And there's so many things that I want you to know,_

_I won't give up till it's over,_

_If it takes you forever I want you to know,_

_I hear your voice, it's drowning in the whispers,_

_You're just skin and bones, there's nothing left to take,_

_No matter what I do, I can't make you feel better,_

_Ohhhhh, ohhhhh,_

_If only I could find the answer,_

_Ohhhhh, ohhhhh,_

_To help me understand,_

_Sometimes I wish I could save you,_

_And there's so many things that I want you to know,_

_I won't give up till it's over,_

_If it takes you forever, I want you to know that,_

_If you fall, stumble down, I'll pick you up off the ground,_

_If you lose faith in you, I'll give you strength to pull through,_

_Tell me you won't give up cause I'll be waiting if you fall,_

_You know, I'll be there for you!_

_Ohhhhh, ohhhhh,_

_If only I could find the answer,_

_Ohhhhh, ohhhhh,_

_To take it all away,_

_Sometimes I wish I could save you,_

_And there's so many things that I want you to know,_

_I won't give up till it's over,_

_If it takes you forever I want you to know,_

_Ohhhhh,_

_I wish I could save you,_

_Ohhhhh, ohhhhh,_

_I want you to know,_

_Ohhhhh, ohhhhh,_

_I wish I could save you,_

_Ohhhhh, ohhhhh."_

When the song ended, Kushina was sobbing dreadfully as she held Naruto's hand against her forehead saying, " We're reunited after 12 years and here you are near death! Please my son, please wake up! Please don't leave me Naruto! I love you my son!"

Kushina was so overcome with pain and sadness that she didn't even realize Naruto's eyes began to flutter.

_( Inside Naruto's mind…)_

Naruto shifted his gaze from one side to the other, everything was dark, he was disoriented, he had no idea how long he had been out or where he was, his first thought was to call for the Nine-Tails.

So he took a deep breath and called out, " Kurama, are you there? If you are, let me hear your voice! "

After a few moments of silence, " I can hear you Naruto! Follow my voice! "

Naruto stood up and followed his partner's voice until they found each other, Naruto's first question was, " What happened with Gaara? "

The Kyuubi gave Naruto a brief but informative explanation on what happened with Gaara and the aftermath.

Naruto was shocked to say the least, a few moments later he asked, " So how long have I been out? "

Kurama answered, " 3 days Naruto. The loss of chakra from your battle has severly weakened you to the point where you can barely move. I've almost revitalized the chakra coils in your body, so you will be able to move shortly, but it will take more time to fully recover. "

Naruto sighed with relief before he said with a laugh, " Well that's a relief! At least the damage wasn't too bad, eh partner? "

Kurama chuckled at Naruto's sarcasm as the 2 shared a laugh together.

Suddenly they a frantic voice scream, " Please wake up!"

Startled, Naruto asked, " What was that? "

The Nine-Tails replied solomely, " That was your mother Naruto, even as I speak these words she is in your room crying at the sight of you in a coma."

Naruto turned serious and said, " I really need to wake up old friend, I can't let my mother worry like that!"

Kurama replied, " And so you shall, I fixed the last chakra coils up. Now my young friend…Awaken! "

_( In the real world…)_

Naruto slowly opened his eyes and found himself in a hospital room, he turned to his right bedside and stared up at his mother who was crying hysterically while holding Naruto's right hand between both of hers, underneath the oxygen mask Naruto gave a small smile and started to reach out for her.

Kushina, still sobbing, gripped her son's hand tighter and shouted, " Please wake up my son! Please don't leave me! I can't lose you!"

Suddenly she heard a small voice say, " You're not gonna lose me."

She stopped crying, opened her eyes and looked down to see Naruto staring up at her with a smile on his face as he removed the oxygen mask, sat up, touched her face with his left hand and replied, " It's okay mom, I'm alright. "

Right away Kushina's tears resumed, but this time they were tears of joy as she released his right hand and enveloped him in a joyful embrace as she replied with a tearful smile, " Oh Naruto! I was so scared! I thought I'd lost you! "

Naruto returned the hug and whispered, " Shh, shh, it's alright mom. I'm fine."

The 2 continued their hugging for another 30 seconds before Naruto asked alarmed, " Mom, what about Hinata? "

Kushina looked deep into her son's eyes, sighed and answered sadly, " She's fine. Saratobi is dead."

Naruto concern turned to grief as he said, " What- Oh no." before he started crying himself as he hugged his mom again.

Kushina retuned the hug trying to comfort him as Naruto's painful tears started to fall.

_( Meanwhile, across town…)_

At the top of Hokage mountain, Sakura Haruno was sitting on the rocks overlooking the village, she was devastated to hear about the death of the Third, but at the same time, the thing she regretted the most was the way she had treated Naruto all this time despite the fact that he had actually forgiven her for it.

All those memories of her teasing, shunning, and humiliating him brought tears to her eyes as she thought, _" How could I have been so cruel to him? He was right about me, I am selfish, I judge people before I even get to know them. I have no right to call myself his friend if all I ever did was put him down, even though he was always a caring person."_

Sakura was brought out of her thoughts when Ino arrived.

" Hey Sakura! " replied Ino in a friendly voice.

Sakura replied with a sigh, " Hey Ino."

Ino looked concerned and asked, " is something bothering you? "

Sakura answered, " Actually there is. But it's got nothing to do with you."

Ino asked, " Can you tell me what happened? "

Sakura said, " My problem is that I completely misjudged Naruto and considered him useless."

Ino replied, " I'm sorry you feel that way Sakura. We're all guilty of that exact same thing, so I share your regret as well."

Sakura said sadly, " You wanna know what the most dreadful thing I said to him was? I said, " You're nothing but a piece of trash who is loved by no one." which wasn't true, Naruto was just misunderstood, that's all. Up until now he lived his entire life as an outcast not knowing why. But now he knows, that those who should have loved him shunned him because of some incident with the Nine-Tails, and threw him into lonliness and pain."

Ino replied, " Well, it's not all bad. I mean, he got his mother back. So he has someone who loves him and cares for him, he deserves that much at least."

Sakura smiled at that and said, " You're right Ino, and I thank the divines above for that. After all the hardships he suffered as a boy, he deserved to have his mother back. "

Ino smiled and shouted, " See you later Sakura! "

Sakura waved goodbye, watched her friend go, then returned to her thoughts.

_Timeskip- 3 days…_

After 6 days in the hospital Naruto had finally recovered and left the hospital, Hinata was overjoyed to see him and ran to hug him, the 2 friends gave each other a small hug and smiled.

Naruto smiled at Hinata and replied, " I told you I'd come back Hinata. I never break my word."

Hinata answered, " There was never a doubt in my mind. Ever. "

Kushina smiled at that.

_( Timeskip- 1 day…)_

A full week had passed since the Invasion of Konoha, the funeral for Hiruzen Saratobi was scheduled for today, everyone was gathered in the town square to witness the ceremony.

A group of jonin came walking through carrying a stretcher with Saratobi's body on it wrapped in white bandages, everyone was crying hysterically at the sight of their leader dead except for Jiraiya who was waiting near the funeral pyre.

The jonin put the body on the pyre, then Jiraiya stepped forward and began the eulogy, " Today we acknowledge a really terrible loss. As you all know, Saratobi was exceptionally hard-working, infinitely fair-minded, and a fierce, fierce friend and leader to us all. Now the pain we all feel at this dreadful loss reminds me and reminds us that while we may look different and act different, our hearts beat as one. In light of these recent events, the alliances and the bonds of friendships we made these last 2 months will be more important than ever. If we remember that, then Saratobi will not have died in vain. We remember that, and we celebrate a man who was brave, honest, true, and honorable right to the end."

Then he turned to his left and said, " Kushina. "

Kushina walked up with Naruto and handed Jiraiya a torch, then he turned towards the body, held the torch high and announced, " Hiruzen Saratobi, we lay you to rest."

Afterward he placed the torch at the bottom of the pyre and lit it on fire, everyone watched as the Third was slowly cremated, there wasn't a single person who wasn't crying, even Sasuke, as they all remembered their beloved leader, Hiruzen Saratobi, The Third Hokage.

End of Chapter 14.

Note: for those of you who feel deprived of action, don't worry because the Sasuke Retrieval chapter will have plenty of action. I intend to put in lots of fighting and attacks so be ready. Also for those of you think I made Sakura too sympathetic, Listen up… the way I see it, after being cussed out by Naruto, beaten up by Hinata, and having her back busted by Kushina, I think she has learned her lesson. Don't worry, there will be some more Sakura bashing when Tsunade shows up.

Oh, and by the way, the poll for Sasuke's retrieval has come to a close, the result was 3 votes, 1 for the start of shippuden, 2 for after invasion of Pein.

So Sasuke will be retrieved after Pein's invasion.

Also i want someone to tell about the connection between Mito and Kushina Uzumaki, i already understand Tsunade's connection, but i want to make all realationships clear to avoid confusion in this story.

Have a nice day!

Sincerely, Destroyer 9.


	16. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Quest for the new Hokage part 1.

Note: I finally found out the connection between Mito and Kushina, Kushina is Mito's niece, but Minato is Tsunade's son making her Naruto's grandma which i will make clear in the next chapter. This chapter will handle the confrontation between Sasuke and his brother, the next will handle finding Tsunade.

Thank you to everyone who has been discovering me and has continued to enjoy my story.

Note: I'm proposing a yugioh fanfiction challenge, Summary: _season 4 waking the dragons, after his first battle with Rafael, Yami is depressed over his mistake and somehow his sorrow is felt in the shadow realm where the egyptian god monsters dwell and using their remaining power, they enable Slifer the Sky Dragon to escape into the human world where he rejoins with Yami and helps him against Dartz._

Now let's get strated.

Two weeks had passed since Saratobi's funeral, the damage from the invasion was finally repaired and everything was back to normal except that Konoha was still without a leader.

Hinata was at training ground 4 doing some stretches when Neji came by, seeing his face made her seeth with resentment because of how he treated her during the exams.

Hinata glared and asked, " Did you come here to lecture me some more Neji? I will not be bullied by you for something that isn't my fault! "

Neji sighed and answered sadly, " No, I came to apologize Hinata. "

Hinata was surprised and asked, " Apologize for what? "

Neji explained, " For using you as an outlet for my anger. I had no right to speak to a family member like that, I'm sorry. After my battle with Naruto, I have since come to realize that where you're born, where you came from, what rank you are, what your powers are, what abilities you have, what your title is, I realize that none of that matters, it is what you do with them that determines who you are. Both of us were pretty much outcasts, one being treated like a second-class citizen and the other being shunned due to a lack of confidence. I fought with nothing but contempt and jealousy in my heart, you fought with courage, honor, spirit, and determination, you fought to very end without giving up, so truth be told Hinata, you were the better warrior. Training under the guidance of the Crimson Death is making you stronger each day, but you still must master the Byakugan's full power as well as the Gentle-Fist to be a true Hyuga. I'm close to mastering them myself, so once that's be dealt with, if you want Hinata, I can train you to master their full power as well. Do you accept? "

Hinata thought for a moment, at first she was suspicious but after hearing Neji's explanation she realized he was right, she had been the better warrior but still had to master her own Kekkie Genkai.

Hinata finally answered, " I'll accept your offer Neji, on one condition. "

Neji asked, " And that is? "

Hinata said in a serious tone, " Never use verbal assault on me ever again, I honored our family by refusing to quit, now you must do the same. "

Neji agreed, held out his hand, smiled and asked, " Very well, consider it done. We have a deal then Hinata? "

Hinata shook his hand, smiled and said, " Deal. "

And then after a final affectionate hug, the 2 Hyuga's went back to training.

2 days later Jiraiya was approached by Konoha's village elders who asked him to become the new Hokage, he respectfully declined the offer believing that failing to prevent his mentor from getting killed meant he wasn't worthy of that title.

Instead he offered to find his former team-mate and fellow sannin Tsunade and ask her to become the new Hokage, he also asked for one condition: to take Naruto with him for extra training and protection.

Jiraiya found Naruto and Kushina having lunch at Ichiraku's, when he arrived Kushina asked, " What brings you here Jiraiya? "

Jiraiya explained what this was all about and that he wanted to take Naruto with him for protection, Naruto's initial refusal made Jiraiya promise to teach him a new jutsu that was stronger than Sasuke's chidori, Naruto agreed at once and decided to go with him.

Before they set off, Jiraiya confided in Kushina that his real intention was to protect Naruto from the Akatsuki, an organization that was seeking out the power of all the Tailed-Beasts as well as the Nine-Tails, he also said he wanted to train Naruto to hopefully become strong enough to fight the Akatsuki on his own someday.

Even though Kushina had to agree, she replied, " Be that as it may, I'm coming too. You may be a Sannin, but you have absolutely no knowledge of Kenjutsu. ( swordsmanship) You must remember Jiraiya that the Uzumaki clan was renowned for their excellent skill with a blade, the only one who can teach my son that is me so I'm afraid I must accompany you. "

Jiraiya answered, " I suppose your right Kushina. Go pack your things, we haven't much time. "

Kushina nodded and went back to her apartment to pack, the she told Hinata everything and asked Kurenai to look out for her until they returned, Kurenai agreed.

Half an hour later the group was fully packed and left to find Tsunade.

However, not everything went according to plan, 2 strangers garbed in black examined the damage to the village from a distance, having arrived shortly after Naruto left with his mom and Jiraiya with the intention of searching for Naruto.

Kakashi who was waiting for Sasuke to finish his lunch met up with Asuma and Kurenai in the village where they noticed the two strangers having tea nearby as they overheard the jonin's conversation about Naruto's departure with Jiraiya, these 2 strangers began heading out of the village when they encountered Asuma and Kurenai.

The pair introduced themselves: the larger on introduced himself as Kisame Hoshigaki, a missing-nin from Kiragakure, the other more menacing one introduced himself as Itachi Uchiha, after a short battle Asuma and Kurenai realized they were no match for these more powerful enemies.

However at the last moment, Kakashi arrived to assist in the battle, Kisame eagerly attempted to fight Kakashi, but Itachi cautioned Kisame that he would not get away uninjured if he fought Kakashi head-on, opting instead to take care of him himself.

Itachi was so fast the jonin couldn't see him forming any hand signs, and a battle of jutsu initiated shortly after, Itachi then activated his Mangekyo Sharingan and Kakashi was caught in Itachi's genjutsu, Tsukuyomi.

Tsukuyomi showed Kakashi tied to a plank of wood levitating over an endless ocean, Itachi then appeared in front of him and attempted to stab Kakashi with a sword, then seemingly more clones of Itachi appeared with their own swords and began to stab Kakashi over and over again into what appeared to be 3 days, but in actuality only 1 second had passed.

With Kakashi incapacitated, Kisame charged at the jonin, Asuma and Kurenai were helpless until Might Guy appeared in a spectacular fashion kicking Kisame out of the way, Kisame was about to counter-attack until Itachi declared that this fight had gone on long enough, and that they weren't there to start a war, vanishing afterwards.

Naruto, Kushina, and Jiraiya made a stop at a post-station a short distance away from the village, while Kakashi was in the hospital the jonin were discussing why Itachi would return to the village before realizing he was after Naruto, during which Sasuke walked in asking what happened to Kakashi.

Inadvertantly, Sasuke learned that Itachi had come back to the village and was after Naruto, he looked all over the village, first at Naruto's apartment, then at Ichiraku's where he learned that Naruto had left with his mom and Jiraiya and they had stopped at a post-station just outside the village.

Sasuke started to run towards the station when Jiraiya eyed a beautiful woman and told Naruto to go back to their hotel room and practice chakra-moulding while Jiraiya took the woman out on a date, however Kushina wasn't fooled, she was waiting in the room when Itachi and Kisame arrived.

With a black mask covering Kushina's entire face, Kisame and Itachi didn't recognize her, she drew her sword and shouted at Naruto, " Get down! " Naruto quickly dropped to the floor without a word as Kushina forced the intruders into the hallway, and right before they could engage her, Sasuke arrived and appeared behind Itachi.

Sasuke glared at Itachi intensely, and Kisame realized how much they looked alike prompting him to ask who Sasuke was, to which Itachi answered, " He's my little brother. " Sasuke activated his chidori and declared, " I've lived my life like you told me to: I've resented you, and hated you, and now I'm going to kill you! " then he charged at Itachi, however Itachi stopped Sasuke's chidori and broke his wrist.

As Kushina held off Kisame, Sasuke was nearly beaten to death, and Itachi used his Mangekyo Sharingan to injure Sasuke mentally using Tsukuyomi.

Then Kisame drew his sword hoping for an instant kill, but the better trained and disciplined Kushina managed to dodge and strike back slashing Kisame in his left arm, he staggered back in pain almost losing his balance, regaining his footing he seethed in rage, held his sword above his head and threw it towards Kushina.

Naruto watched in horror as the blade sailed through the air, plunged and imbedded itself into his mother, the target: the critical bundle on nerves in the upper body known as the Aorta, it was a textbook kill strike, as Kushina staggered, Naruto thought in terror, " NO! Mommy NO! Please No! "

Kisame grinned thinking, " All too easy. "

But, concealed under baggy clothes, Kushina was wearing body armor, neck to foot.

After Saratobi's funeral, Kushina decided to take extreme measures, she had spent the last 2 weeks painstakingly cutting and stitching blade-proof material which she called Aramid, into a full-body suit, she also reinforced her armor by sewing steel plates into her jonin vest creating a sheet of steel over her vital organs, combined, Kushina carried at least 20 pounds of protection.

5 times stronger than steel, the Aramid withstood the force of the blade and was flexible enough to absorb the impact, Kushina staggered a little then stopped to regain her bearings, Kisame stood there in shock as Kushina stood back up, pulled his sword out of her vest, tossed it to the floor and ran at him again.

Naruto looked on dumbfounded before he realized, " I get it now! She's wearing armor! My mom never misses anything does she? "

Then he heard Kurama say with a grin, " Naruto, don't underestimate your mother. i've know her longer than you have and let me tell you, she was never that careless. She always made sure that whatever happened, she was prepaired for it. Ha!"

Naruto smiled then continued to watch the fight, using her immense speed, Kushina started delivering a barrage of slashes left and right, most of which Kisame never saw coming, by the time it stopped, Kisame was bruised, bleeding and terribly injured.

As he stood back up, Kushina sheathed her sword and replied, " Ah yes, i was wondering what would break first. " Kisame lunged at her again only to be met with a punch in the face, as he staggered Kushina said. " Your spirit... " then she lifted him over her head and shouted, " Or your body! "

The she threw Kisame down and slammed him across her knee as hard as she could, then with a loud crack, Kisame screamed and fell to the floor with a broken back.

Just then Jiraiya appeared after being temporarily fooled by a genjutsu Itachi had placed on the woman Jiraiya had taken out, finally managing to intervene, Jiraiya used his summoning: Toad Mouth Bind to force Kisame and Itachi to flee via Amaterasu, Itachi lifted Kisame over his own shoulders and fled, as the group tended to Sasuke, Might Guy appeared to take Sasuke back to Konoha.

Later, Kushina and Jiraiya explained to Naruto that the Akatsuki was after the Nine-Tails sealed inside of him, Naruto realized and understood that he needed to become stronger in order to protect himself and the ones he cared about, then they resumed their search for Tsunade.

End of Chapter 14.

Note: Originally, I planned on having Naruto summon a dragon as well, but after extensive research, I learned there can only be one summoning contract, so I had to jettison that idea. sorry.

For those of you who think I should have killed Kisame, comment or PM me and I might consider revision.

Thank you!


	17. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Quest for the new Hokage part 2.

Note: This chapter will handle locating Tsunade, as well as her fight with Orochimaru with a little twist I might add, I also intend to have Tsunade learn here that Naruto is her grandson.

Let the games begin!

It was exactly 3 days after the Itachi incident, Naruto, Kushina and Jiraiya were still tracking Tsunade, little did they realize that Orochimaru was also after her, their search eventually led them to Tanzuka Town.

While Jiraiya was looking info on Tsunade, " Or hitting on the ladies " Naruto would spend his time sparring with his mom, as well as learning the one technique that was stronger than Chidori: Rasengan.

There were at least 3 steps to learning that move: the first step emphasized rotation, practiced by trying to pop a water balloon, the second step was power, practiced by exploding a rubber ball, the third and final step emphasized control, and the power and rotation of the first 2 steps had to be used at 100% while maintaining the ball of chakra inside a regular balloon without popping it.

When Naruto finished the first 2 steps, his mother informed him that Jiraiya had learned Tsunade was in Tanzuka Town, then they headed out with Naruto practicing the third step along the way.

When they finally reached the town, Orochimaru had already gotten to her first, he proposed an offer: if she healed his arms, he would revive her deceased brother and love using Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation, a technique that required Tsunade to provide 2 human sacrifices, he then told her she had 1 week to consider his offer and left her to ponder her decision.

That night, the group went to a bar at Jiraiya's insistance to eat and find info on Tsunade, only to run into the legendary sannin herself along with her assistant Shizune, Kushina was the first to talk to her by saying, " Hey Tsunade! What's up? "

Tsunade stood up from her table, turned around and came face-to-face with her daughter in-law, Kushina Uzumaki, bringing a look of shock to her face!

Tsunade's first reaction was, " Kushina? Where have you been? I haven't seen you in twelve years! What happened ? "

Kushina smiled and said, " To make a long story short, I was in a coma all this time. I woke up only five months ago. "

After getting over her shock, Tsunade replied, " Thank goodness you're alright! Oh Kushina, it's so great to see you again! "

After that the 2 women shared a hug being overjoyed to see each other again, then Tsunade asked, " So what are you doing here Kushina ? "

Jiraiya stepped forward and said, " I will answer that. "

When Tsunade noticed him, she asked, " Jiraiya? You too? Jeez! This is unexpected. What is going on here? "

Jiraiya answered, " Tsunade, we came here to ask you to return with us to Konoha and become the fifth Hokage. "

Kushina then went on to explain what happened during the invasion of Konoha, what happened to Hiruzen, and how Jiraiya recommended Tsunade to the positon of Hokage.

Tsunade face became angry as she shouted, " Absolutely not! That is out of the question! Besides, only a fool would want that title! I have no reason to go back anyway! "

Naruto, angered by this, began to criticize Tsunade, before the argument could escalate, Kushina demanded, " Naruto! That is enough! " Naruto, stunned by the anger in his mothers voice went silent.

Tsunade who was still aggravated asked, " Who the brat?! "

Kushina turned serious before she replied, " Tsunade, what you are about to see, I must ask you not to scream. Because it could be disastrous. " then she reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper saying, " Read this. "

Tsunade took the paper, unfolded it and read it, by the time she was done, she whispered in shock, " Oh My God! " the piece of paper Kushina handed her was a birth certificate identifying the boy as Naruto Uzumaki, son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, meaning for Tsunade that the boy was in fact… her grandson! because Naruto's father was born of Tsunade.

Kushina smiled and said, " Hmm Hmm! Didn't think you had an extended family did you? "

Naruto was confused and asked Kushina, " Mommy, do you know this woman? Is she an old friend or something? "

After a moment of silence Kushina answered, " Naruto, this is Tsunade Senju, a member of the Senju family. Her family and mine go back a long way, as a matter of fact, she's my mother in-law because your father was her son when I married him. Which means Naruto, that Tsunade is in fact your grandmother. "

Naruto was stunned at what he heard, all he could think was, _" This woman is my grandma? "_

Tsunade let Kushina's words sink in before she took a good look at Naruto, realizing how closely he resembled her deceased son Minato, at that moment Tsunade began to feel tears forming in her eyes, something she hadn't felt in years.

She gently reached out to touch his face before gently saying, " My-my grandson? " as she slowly rubbed Naruto's cheek.

Naruto gulped before saying in a timid voice. " Um, he-hello Grandma Tsunade. "

That did it… Tsunade couldn't hold back her tears anymore, she wrapped Naruto in a joyful hug and replied with tears of joy, " All this time and I never knew! I have a grandson! "

Kushina and Jiraiya both smiled at the scene before them until Kushina asked, " So how about it Tsunade? Will you come home with your family and take position of Hokage? "

Tsunade stood up and sighed before answering, " I don't know Kushina, this is a lot for me to take in. At least give me a couple of days to think it over. "

Kushina nodded and replied, " I'll give you 1 week. I'll know by then. " to which Tsunade agreed.

After dinner the group made their way back to their hotel and went to sleep, while Tsunade continued to ponder her decision.

The group awoke the next morning only to find out from Shizune that Tsunade had gone to meet with Orochimaru, unaware that Kabuto was watching them and was surprised to find that both Naruto and Jiraiya were looking for Tsunade, he chose to retreat as the 3 rushed to find her.

Tsunade arrived and secretly attempted to kill Orochimaru using her medical jutsu, only to be stopped by Kabuto himself revealing her intentions, as he was also a medical ninja.

As Tsunade began the fight, Kabuto suggested to Orochimaru that they had to look foe another place to fight before Tsunade could receive further aid, revealing that Naruto and Jiraiya were nearby, so the two lured Tsunade to an open grass field to buy some time to capture her.

At first, although Tsunade was able to hold off Kabuto, he got the upper hand by exposing the secret of her Hemaphobia, that was when Naruto's group arrived in time to stop him from killing Tsunade, Naruto was surprised to find Kabuto fighting Tsunade, but was quickly informed by his mother that his headband clearly showed he was working for Orochimaru.

While Jiraiya held off Orochimaru, Naruto, Kushina, and Shizune tried to protect Tsunade, Kabuto knocked out Shizune, rendered Kushina helpless with a restraining jutsu, then proceeded to kill Tsunade, but Naruto intercepted him, and plunged a kunai into his left shoulder.

Infuriated by this, Kabuto then proceeded to pummel Naruto, all the while telling he was only a ninja by luck and would never measure up to Sasuke, this only fueled Naruto's resolve, and when Kabuto lunged at him with a kunai, Naruto allowed his left hand to be impaled with the blade, effectively holding Kabuto in place.

Across the field, Kushina witnessed her son being pummeled and impaled causing her to scream in terror, **" NARUTOOOO! "**

Naruto then used a shadow clone to mould chakra into his free hand, and hit Kabuto in the stomach with a fully formed Rasengan which shocked everyone, even Orochimaru, the Rasengan was so powerful that even with Kabuto's excellent regenerating ability, there was still too much damage for him to repair immediately, however prior to being hit with the Resagan, Kabuto had severed the arteries to Naruto's heart, meaning he would soon die.

Touched by her grandson's resolution, Tsunade vowed to heal him knowing that even with the Nine-tails power, he wouldn't recover if the arteries were cut.

Tsunade was able to heal Naruto with no trouble at all, but Orochimaru realized that Naruto had become too powerful and that his only chance to kill Naruto was now, he lunged at Naruto with the Kusanagi sword only to be stopped by Tsunade who grabbed his arm holding him in place.

Orochimaru growled, " Tsunade, why do you defend him?! "

Tsunade retorted, " Because he is my grandson and is destined to become the future Hokage! And for today onwards I too will put my life on the line for the leaf, because I am The Fifth Hokage! " then she finally overcame her hemaphobia.

Kushina watched in amazement as Tsunade suddenly kicked Orochimaru in the stomach with her right knee, in shock and pain he lost focus and dropped his sword, Tsunade then twisted his arm snapping it, then did a round-house kick sending him flying backwards across the field, seeing this as her chance, Tsunade snatched up both Naruto and the sword and ran back to others.

With that, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru all did the summoning technique: Tsunade- Katsuya the slug, Jiraiya- Gambunta the toad, and Orichimaru- Manda the snake respectively.

Orochimaru shouted, " Tsunade! Return my sword at once you impertinent wench! "

Tsunade smirked replied smuggly, " Finders keepers! And besides, a weapon such as this does not belong in the hands of someone like you! "

Orochimaru bellowed, " Very well! If you won't hand it over peacefully then I'll just take it by force! "

Tsunade held up her newly aqquired weapon, laughed before calling out, " Let's see you try and take this sword away from me! "

After a short battle with the summoned beasts, Tsunade was able to drive Gambunta's sword down through Manda's mouth pinning him to the ground, since Manda was no longer able to fight, he left.

Tsunade then proceeded to beat up Orochimaru with her monstrous strength, afterward Orochimaru admitted his plan had and warned Tsunade that he could still revive his arms using another technique, he also shouted, " Mark my words Tsunade! One day you will pay for this! " then left with Kabuto.

Tsunde made her way back to Kushina who was holding an unconscious Naruto and looking very worried, she laid down the sword, walked up behind Kushina and said gently, " Don't worry Kushina, he's unconscious, but alive. I managed to heal all the major damage, the only things left are some bruises and scrapes, but nothing more."

Tsunade then put her necklace on Naruto saying that just once more she wanted to believe, that was when Naruto came too, and the fight was over.

Naruto looked up and saw his mother, his first reaction was, " MOM! " then he dove into her arms.

Kushina returned the hug and said while crying, " Oh Naruto! I was so scared! I thought I'd lost you! Oh thank god you're okay! "

Then Tsunade stepped forward and informed Kushina that she accepted the position of Hokage, upon hearing that, Naruto was overjoyed and said, " I believe you'll make a great Hokage, grandma Tsunade."

Tsunade smiled and kissed him on the forehead, then said to him, " I know you'll make a fine man someday, just like your father." at the same time thinking he would also make a great Hokage someday as well.

With that, Naruto, Kushina, Tsunade, Shizune, and Jiraiya headed back to Konoha.

One day after leaving Tanzuka town, the group stopped at an old abandoned shack to set in for the night, after putting her son to sleep, Kushina went over to speak with Tsunade when something caught her eye making her gasp, she was so preoccupied with everything else, she didn't even notice the sword Tsunade had in her hand.

Kushina talked in a low voiced, " Tsunade, where did you get that sword ? "

Shizune noticed as well and asked, " Yes sensei, where ? "

Tsunade smirked and said, " Let me just say: that a certain snake-nin had pretty weak hands."

Jiraiya gave her a thumbs-up, while Shizune smiled.

Kushina smirked, shook her head and replied, " Tsunade Senju, only you could be so bold. Minato was always the same way."

After that, they all went to sleep.

A week later, the group finally retuned to Konoha, Naruto was really looking forward to seeing his friends again.

Just outside the gates, Iruka was about to inform Naruto about some things when he spotted Kushina causing a look of shock in his eyes, looking at her, he thought, _" Kushina? I thought she was dead! Naruto has been blessed with having his mother returned to him! He deserves it after what he's been through. "_

He walked up to Kushina and asked, " Is that you Kushina? "

Kushina said with a smile, " Iruka, it's been a while."

Iruka asked, " Where have you been Kushina ? "

Kushina explained her absense, what happened, and that she had been in a state of comatose for the last 12 years, by the time she was done, Iruka was shocked and relieved at the same time because he knew that Naruto finally had what he deserved… a family.

He got down on one knee, put his hands on Naruto's shoulders, smiled and asked, " Naruto, when you found out that your mother was alive, how did you feel ? "

As Naruto began to recall that joyous night at the hospital, he felt tears of joy in his eyes once more…

_Note: Please refer back to chapter 7-6_ _because I'm not writing a flashback here._

When Naruto finished his recollection, he looked at Iruka with joyful tears in his eyes and answered, " Iruka, when I learned that she was alive and that I wasn't an orphan, I felt like- Um… Ohh, I can't even explain it. There is just no way to explain the amount of happiness I felt that night. I was just overjoyed to be together with my mom. "

Iruka understood and said, " That's a very good answer.

Kushina stepped forward and said, " I'm taking my son out for lunch at Ichiraku's. Would you care to accompany us Iruka? "

His answer was, " Of course. Besides I have a few important things to mention."

At Ichiraku's Ramen stand, Iruka stated, "Now here's the deal: it has been decided that because of the invasion, we are not to allow the other villages to see how weak we are right now, so we will continue our missions like normal. Also it's been decided that from now on, every ninja on active duty is required to carry a hand-held radio at all times. Is this understood? "

Kushina and Naruto nodded with understanding, then the group continued lunch.

Tsunade was well-known as a great medical ninja, as she healed Sasuke and Kakashi of their ailments from the fight with Itachi.

_Timeskip: 2 days…_

Today was the big day, the council had read the records and reports and approved Tsunade as The Fifth Hokage, just minutes before her master's inarguation in front of the villagers, Shizune stumbled upon an open book on Tsunade's desk, it showed a series of mathematical equations surrounding the chart of a body, 50% was written and crossed out, followed by an arrow pointing to a circle, which contained 58% and Shizune could only smile.

Then she heard a voice yell, " Hey Shizune!"

She spun around and saw Kushina who said, " Come on, it's time.'

Shizune nodded and hurried after her.

_In the town square…_

Tsunade was being escorted to the town square, led by Jiraiya and followed by Shizune, Naruto, and Kushina, Naruto saw Hinata in the crowd and waved at her, she smiled and waved back as the procession continued.

Finally they reached the town square and stepped onto a pedastal just outside the Hokage tower, Tsunade wasn't worried about paperwork thanks to Naruto informing her about the uses of Shadow Clone Jutsu which Tsunade agreed to use if needs be.

Once all the citizens of Konoha were gathered in the town square, Jiraiya stepped forward and began his speech, " Citizens of Konoha! Hear me! As you know, last month we suffered a great loss that left us without a leader. But now, the time of grief is over, for today we celebrate the rise and birth of our new leader! The only person who has the intellect, political and battlefield experience to get the job done."

Then he turned to Tsunade and said proudly, " Tsunade, please step forward."

Tsunade walked to the front of the platform and kneeled, then Jiraiya turned to the council elders who stepped forward and handed Jiraiya the ceremonial hat that was worn by every Hokage in the history of Konoha, Jiraiya gently placed it on Tsunade's head and said, " Rise."

As Tsunade stood up, Jiraiya moved aside and declared, " I present to you The Fifth Hokage, Tsunade Senju! "

All at once the crowd erupted in cheers for the new Hokage.

Tsunade announced, " Thank you. Thank you everyone. I swear from the bottom of my heart as Hokage to do whatever it takes to ensure the safety of our beloved village of Konoha. It is with great reluctance and determination that I have agreed to this duty, for I love Konoha and I devote myself to the honor of the leaf Village. Soon anyone who dares to attack us better be ready to feel the same pain because we will not stand back and take it! We will fight and make them remember… This is Konoha! And we are not afraid!

The crowd erupted in cheers, clapping and salutes to show their support and devotion to their new leader.

Afterward, Tsunade walked off the pedastal and went into her new home followed by Shizune, Naruto, Kushina, and Jiraiya.

Naruto smiled with excitement as he said, " WOW! I can't believe that my grandmother is the new Hokage! This is going to take some getting used to."

Tsunade smiled as she sat down at her desk befor saying, " Naruto, I don't mind. You can still call me your grandma if you want, because don't forget, we are family. Just don't say it in public."

Naruto nodded while the others laughed.

Tsunade then went over to a table and placed the Kusanagi sword into a sheath she bought at a weapons shop 1 day ago, strapped it to her waist and said, " The end of one journey marks the beginning of another. "

Thus began a new chapter in Konoha's history…

End of Chapter 15.

Note: Ha! Hand-held radio's and Tsunade taking Orochimaru's sword! Bet you didn't see that coming, did you?

PS, Part of Tsunade's speech was derived from the Matrix, because for me it just seemed so empowering.

I don't own the Matrix!

Stay tuned people, for next up is: Sasuke's Betrayal!

Have a nice day!

Thank you.


	18. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Sasuke's Betrayal Part 1, Leaving Konoha.

Note: This chapter will handle the hospital battle, and Sasuke leaving with the Sound 4, while the next chapter will cover the pursuit and battles of the retrieval team, as well The Valley of The End battle.

Let the games begin!

2 days after the inarguation of Tsunade, a series of unforeseen events occurred that would change Konoha forever.

Humiliated by his brother's declaration that he was disappointingly weak and that Naruto might be his surperior, Sasuke challenged him to a fight 4 days after his return to Konoha.

Inside his hospital room, Sasuke was visited by Sakura who said, " Look! I brought you some apples. You like them right ? Here, don't they look delicious ? That's weird, I wonder where I put that knife before ? "

Naruto walked in and said, " It's right in front of you Sakura. "

Sakura noticed and replied, " Oh! Thank you for telling me Naruto. "

Naruto answered, " Sure, no problem."

Sasuke shifted his eyes which were seething with envy and thought, _" Naruto! "_

Then he started having recollections of what happened during the exams, the invasion, his conversation with Sakura at the end, as well as his brothers words which made him more and more angry by the moment until finally… he snapped!

As Naruto sat on the floor meditating, Sakura finished peeling the apple and said, " There, all peeled and ready. I'll cut it so it's easier to eat. Here, wanna try one ? "

Suddenly, Sasuke angrily swung his hand out sending the apple, plate and knife through the air and crashing to the floor!

Sakura, holding her hand in a state of shock asked, " Wha- Sasuke? "

The crashing alerted Naruto who jumped up and shouted, " What the hell was that ?! What's going on here?! "

Sasuke turned and looked at Naruto with a glare.

When Naruto noticed, his first reaction was, " What Sasuke? What's the matter ? "

Sakura just stared in utter shock thinking, _" What's wrong with Sasuke? "_

Sasuke finally said, " You! Naruto! "

Naruto replied, " I hear you. "

Fueled by rage and revenge, Sasuke shouted, " I want you to fight me now! "

Sakura gasped.

Naruto retorted, " What! But we're in a hospital! Grandma Tsunade just got you patched up! What are you talking about ? "

With his eyes bulging in anger, Sasuke shouted in fury, " Shut up and fight! "

Both Naruto and Sakura gasped!

Sasuke snorted, " Do you really think you saved me? I don't care if she's the Fifth Hokage! You shouldn't have gotten her involved in this! "

Naruto growled, " What! "

Sasuke stood up and continued, " And besides, you did say you wanted to fight, well now it looks like you've got your chance! That is unless of course, you've chickened out. "

Naruto growled.

Sakura pleaded, " Wait! Sasuke, don't do this! Naruto say something! This is crazy! "

Naruto smiled and declared, " Actually this is perfect! I was just thinking about how I was gonna kick your ass! "

Sakura chuckled nervously, " Hey, why don't you guys talk about this? What do you say? "

Sadly, her words fell on deaf ears as Sasuke said, " Follow me. "

Sakura stood there frozen with fear as Sasuke led Naruto to the roof of the hospital.

Once there, the 2 stood face-to-face with each other for a while as Naruto thought, _" What's this feeling? My lower belly's all tight! And I feel jealous! "_

Then he laughed causing Sasuke to ask with irritation, " Hmph! What's so funny? "

Naruto retorted, " I'm not laughing cause it's funny, I'm just psyched! Because I know that today is when I'll finally beat you! "

Sasuke gasped, recalled his brother's words about Naruto being a prodigy, and shouted, " What did you say ?! Don't talk nonsense to me! You inept loser ! "

Naruto growled, " I won't be such a loser after I win today, will I ?! "

Just then, Sakura appeared in time to hear Sasuke yell, " You! An idiot like you has no business acting all high and mighty! "

Naruto laughed and chortled " Ha! What happened to the " Calm, Controlled Sasuke" ? am I making you nervous? Looks like you picked a fight with me and now you're too scared to go through with it, is that it? "

Sasuke yelled, " Let's just do this! "

Naruto said, " Put on your headband and we will ! I'll wait. "

Sasuke sneered, " Not to worry. I don't need that thing! "

Naruto snapped, " Just do it! Come on! "

Sasuke just sneered, " There's no need to put it on, because you won't even be able to put a scratch on my forehead ! "

Naruto reproached, " That's not the point! Come on, you know putting your headband on is a testament to fighting on equal terms as a Leaf Shinobi! "

Sakura gasped at that.

Sasuke scoffed, " There you go, acting all high and mighty again! Do you honestly think we're equals?! "

Naruto responded, " Hell yeah I do! All this time I never once thought I was inferior to you in any way! "

Sasuke took his stance and shouted, " You're a complete embarassment ! "

Naruto assumed his stance and yelled back, " No! You're the embarassment because unlike you, I have something worth fighting for! You have nothing and that's what makes you weak! "

Then they charged at one another, one shouting the other's name.

When they collided, Sasuke's fist was stopped by Naruto's left hand while the same went with Naruto.

Naruto pushed Sasuke back, grabbed his leg and attempted to throw him.

But Sasuke countered by bracing his hands on ground, then using his free leg to kick Naruto in the head.

Naruto was unfazed by the hit and charged at Sasuke again only to be caught and thrown to the side.

Naruto backflipped and regained his footing just as Sasuke started throwing a barrage of punches at him.

Naruto managed to ward off most of the attacks but one broke through and hit him in the face, he fell backwards knocking down a clothesline with sheets.

Sasuke saw this as a window of opportunity, but when he removed the sheet, Naruto was nowhere to be seen!

Sasuke looked around, seeing what looked like a sudden gust of wind causing a sheet to flail out, he jumped off the ground expecting Naruto to come up after him.

But then he looked and saw Naruto on one of the water tanks, Naruto leaped down and nailed Sasuke in the face with a right-hand punch.

Sasuke fell down but regained his footing and charged again shouting, " Don't get cocky and let your guard down! " then he landed a punch in Naruto's face.

Naruto fell a little and knocked down another clothesline, but stood up and tried to distance himself a little by running, but Sasuke was right on his heels.

The young Uchiha, wasting no time threw a kick through a sheet and hit Naruto as the sheet fell on him disrupting gameplay.

The kick sent Naruto flying into the fence as Sasuke closed and started sluging Naruto left and right.

Sakura gasped at the amount of brutality Sasuke was showing!

Naruto kicked Sasuke away from him and jumped on the fence shouting, " I've had just about enough of this! " and charged at Sasuke again.

After a few moments of throwing and dodging blows, the 2 genin took their distance, Naruto who was panting like Sasuke saw an opening, did his hand signs and screamed, " Shadow Clone Jutsu! " then in an instant dozens of Naruto clones surrounded Sasuke.

Sasuke, using his spinning-bird kick took out a few of the clones, but before Naruto could use his Uzumaki Barrage, Sasuke blocked, did his hand signs and called out, " Fireball Jutsu! " then a huge ball of fire came crashing down on the roof !

Sakura, seeing puffs of smoke knew the clones were being destroyed, she yelled, " No! Naruto! "

Right then and there, Sakura had had enough, she knew if this didn't stop, it could get out of control!

Taking matters into her own hands, Sakura reached down and pulled out her own little radio, switched it on, pressed the button allowing her to transmit and said in loud, clear voice, " Red Alert! Red Alert! Emergency Code 901! This is Sakura Haruno, frequency 16.5 with an emergency call for Kakashi Hatake and Kushina Uzumaki! Location: Rooftop of Konoha hospital! Situation: Just a few moments ago, Sasuke challenged Naruto to a fight, but now he is using techniques that are not allowed in a sparring match! Situation is rapidly becoming critical, if you guys are listening and can hear me, acknowledge this transmission! Requesting immideate assisstance to stop the fight! Please hurry! Over! " then she looked back at the fight and felt like it was hopeless, then proceeded to turn off the radio.

But just as she was about to hit the " Off " switch, the radio crackled, on the other end she heard a voice say, " Sakura, are you there?! I repeat, are you there?! This is Kushina Uzumaki, frequency 18.4! Do you read me?! "

Sakura replied, " Loud and clear Kushina! What's going on? "

Over the radio she heard Kushina say, " Transmission acknowledged! Sakura, whatever you do, do not attempt to interfere with the fight! Stay where you are and hang tight! We're on our way! Understood? "

Sakura answered, " Roger! Over and out! "

_Back to the fight…_

When the flames faded, there was Naruto with a clone helping him charge his Rasengan, as Sasuke thought, _" How- What Jutsu is that?! "_

Naruto stood there with his Rasengan fully chargedas Sasuke activated his Chidori prepairing to attack.

Sakura said in a low voice, " Please hurry people! "

Naruto charged at Sasuke with his Rasengan shouting, " I'll win no matter what! "

Sasuke shouted, " I'm not finished with you yet! "

Sakura in a state of panic, ran towards the 2 pleading and yelling for them to stop.

As they were getting closer and closer, they thought, _" Too late! Can't stop! " _as Sakura continued screaming.

At that moment, flying out from the shadows, Kushina lunged at Naruto and pulled him out of the way sending his Rasengan crashing into a water tank, at the same time, Kakashi flew in, grabbed Sasuke and pulled him to the ground sending his Chidori crashing into another water tank.

Naruto was in shock as he thought, _" Mom! "_

Sasuke was stunned thinking, _" Kakashi! "_

At the same time, Kakashi was thinking, _" Naruto, is that what I think it was? "_

As the noise died down, Kakashi replied, " What do you two think you're doing up here? That was a little intense for just a sparring match, wasn't it? What's wrong with you two? "

Naruto removed his hand from the water tank noticing a little hole in it as Kakashi thought, _" No doubt about it. That jutsu... it was the Rasengan! But Naruto mastering that jutsu... how is that possible? "_

It was then that Kushina first began to question her son by saying, " Naruto, what's this all about ? "

He answered, " Nothing."

Kushina's next question was, " Who started it ? "

Naruto explained, " It was Sasuke. He wanted to prove he was better than me and challenged me to a fight. I accepted under the impression that we were just gonna be sparring. But Sasuke started getting aggressive, brutal, and began using moves that are not allowed in a spar, so I had to defend myself. "

Kakashi looked at Sakura and asked, " Sakura, is that what happened ? "

Sakura nodded.

Sasuke stood up, removed his hand from the tank as a huge stream of water started gushing out, he looked at Naruto's tank, saw a small hole in it and smirked thinking he had won.

At that moment, he heard Kakashi saying, " What were you thinking? Were you really going to kill him Sasuke? You've really got to watch this attitude of superiority you have! That Chidori was not the size you'd aim at a comrade of the leaf village! When are you going to grow up Sasuke! " but at the same time he thought, _" Did meeting with Itachi cause this? "_

Sasuke just snorted, then backflipped over the fence and landed on a rooftop ledge, the others watched him go.

Kushina then noticed something and said to Naruto, " You cut your wrist. "

Naruto looked at his right hand and saw a large laceration on his wrist causing him to say, " Uh! I didn't realize it was bleeding! I haven't felt any pain from my wounds. "

His mother smiled and said, " Let's get that taken care of. "

Naruto nodded as Kushina picked him up and took him downstairs to see a doctor leaving Kakashi and Sakura alone.

On the ledge, Sasuke stared on blankly then heard a sound causing him to look back up at the tank Naruto hit only to be shocked!

Originally, he thought that because of the small hole where Naruto hit the tank that it was weak, but when he looked up, he saw that on the opposite side of it, 2/3s of the tank had literally been blown out, the metal twisted and bent outwards.

As Sasuke saw that, he once again grew infuriated, slammed his fist into the wall knowing he would have lost and thought, " Naruto! How far have you- ! "

Meanwhile, in the hospital, Kushina was sitting with her son in a hospital room after having his wrist patched up when Kiba came in.

Naruto said, " Hey Kiba! What's Up? "

Kiba said, " Everything's okay. " then he noticed Kushina, not recognizing her, he asked, " Naruto, who's that? "

Naruto said with pride, " Kiba, this is my mother. "

Kiba gasped before he said, " Your mother? Wow! Nice to meet you. My name is Kiba Inuzuka."

Kushina smiled and replied, " Nice to meet you Kiba. My name is Kushina Uzumaki, and as you were told, Naruto is my son. "

Naruto explained, " Mom, Kiba is another one of my friends from the academy. In fact, his team went with mine on our first mission. "

Kushina, who was eager for a laugh, decided to ask, " What was the funniest thing that happened on the mission? "

Naruto and Kiba looked at each other for a moment and nodded before Naruto said, " Mom, here's what happened: we're in The Land of The Waves, we're traveling to our destination, and well- we're traveling at night so we can avoid detection, but one night, our sensie's decided to let us sleep so that we would be ready for any fights. So we're setting up the camp and we're performing shift-patrols to make sure it's safe and we never packed any blankets or sleeping bags because it would have slowed down, so they had us wear these long-sleeve button-up pajamas made of silk, so we wore those with long bathrobes over us to keep us warm, anyway, we're sitting around the fire and there's like three tents, and in the largest tent they had these futon mats laid out for us if we wanted to go sleep, and they had our names on them. Extreme, i know, but they were serious about it. And Shino was asleep like- He was always asleep, you know? "

Kiba chimed in, " That's why i did it though, cause he was the one who made us late so much."

Naruto chuckled a bit before continuing, " And well, Kiba had gone off into the woods for a bathroom break. He comes back and he's like, " Hey look! " and he shows the back of his...butt, he had cut his pants open, you know, he said, " Easy access! " so he can go to the bathroom, he can just- you know, it just poops right out. Anyway i was looking at Shino, and i don't know how it came about, but i tend to get ideas and then i say things like, " It'd be funny if you sat on his face! "

Kiba sneered before interjecting, " It'd be funny if you put your " Butt" in his face. Maybe more like that, and i was like, " Okay fine. "

Naruto laughed a bit before he said, " So he walks into the tent, and Shino was just laying there sleeping like " Snores" and Kiba sits right over his face, like with the hole that he had cut open, and sits on his face..."

Naruto started gyrating his hips in a circle as he said, " And does this stuff ! "

Kiba said jokingly, " I was trying to wake him up. I wanted the guy to wake up in the middle of it, you know. But he didn't wake up! "

Naruto laughed, " It was absolutely hilarious what he was doing, you know, i mean anybody would wake up from that ! "

Kiba said, " I wanted him to wake up and be like, " What?! Hey! Get off me! " that's the joke you know, but he didn't wake up!

Naruto laughed, " He didn't wake up! And we were all just laughing! And later he did not even believe us when we told him about it. "

Kiba chuckled, " I said, " Seriously man, smell your nose, i sat on your face. " and he was like, " No you didn't ! No you didn't ! " yeah stupid stuff like that. "

Kushina was struggling to hold back a tremendous laugh threatening to burst out, suddenly she burst out laughing while saying, " You actually sat on his face?! Ha Ha Ha Ha! "

Naruto then said, " Here's another funny moment: We would work out sometimes at his house, so we're in the training room and the windows would be shut or whatever and he'd seal or unseal them usually. so he was exercising, and uh... I'm standing in the room and already I'm like, you know, warm. And he just pops the heater on like full blast like " Phssssh" like that as I remember, and I'm like, " Dude, what are you doing? It's flaming hot in here! " and he's like smiling, and next thing I know, I'm smelling his awful farts, and I'm like, " Dude!" and I'm trying to open the window and it's like sealed from his side, and he's like, " You gotta bake it man. You gotta bake it." before Naruto dropped his head laughing.

Kushina was grabbing her stomach which hurt from laughing so hard.

Kiba was chuckling as he replied, " That was from my mother, she did teach me that. She's crazy."

Naruto smiled, " Ah, but good times though, eh Kiba? "

Kiba happily answered, " Yeah we did, we did have fun times."

They all laughed for a good 5 minutes before Kiba said, Well, i get back and feed my dog before my mom scolds me again. See ya! " after that he walked out of the room leaving the 2 alone.

Naruto and Kushina smirked.

_Timeskip- 3 days…_

Ever since the chunin exams and the battle with Gaara, Sasuke had thought Naruto was improving immensely, Naruto only wanted recognition from Sasuke, recognition that he really had gotten stronger.

However, Sasuke would never recognise Naruto, because by doing so, he would also have to admit that he was weaker than Naruto.

Despite a lecture from Kakashi about how pointless revenge was, an appearance by Orochimaru's Sound Four with a promise of greater power, as well as another humiliating pummeling finally drove Sasuke over the edge.

He attempted to leave the village that night, but was disrupted by Sakura who tried to convince him not to leave Konoha.

During this conversation, a crying and desperate Sakura confessed her love to Sasuke and begged him not to leave the village.

But once she realized he was going to leave either way, she offered to go with him and help him enact his revenge, which he ultimately refused.

As a last resort, she threatened to scream and alert the guards if he left, finally hitting a nerve, Sasuke went from in front of Sakura to behind her in a rush of speed.

He thanked her for everything she had done for him thus far, then he knocked her unconscious, layed her on a nearby bench, then he defected and left with the Sound Four.

End of Chapter 16.

There you have it, this fight is as close to the anime as possible with a few minor changes.

Hope you liked it.

Comment and PM to give your opinions.

Note: For those of you that are wondering " _Emergency code 901 ? What does that mean? "_ well it's a code I designed for this story to describe a situation, it means, " Situation Out Of Control! " hope this clears it up for you.

PS: i felt sorry about what happened to Konan after her defection, so i'm having her remain in Konoha.

The poll on wether or not I should give Naruto the Rinnegan has come to a close.

By a vote of 60%-yes to 40%-no, Naruto shall be given the Rinnegan after Pein's invasion.

Also, the prank was from 2 of my favorite power ranger actors.

Stay tuned for Sasuke's Betrayal! Part 2.

Until next time!


	19. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Sasuke's Betrayal part 2, Battle at The Valley of The End

Note: Aside from a few minor changes, I intend to stay as close to the anime as possible. Also I'm aware that the sand ninja gave aid in these fights, so I'm extending the battles to include them.

Time to attack!

It was 7am in Konoha when Naruto learned about Sasuke's mysterious disappearence.

After meeting up with Shikimaru, Naruto learned that Sasuke had defected and gone over to Orochimaru!

It was then that Shikimaru gathered a 5-man squad including himself, Naruto, Kiba, Choji, and Neji to find and retrieve Sasuke.

Naruto also recommended Shino, but he was away on a mission with his father at the time.

Before the group left, a crying Sakura arrived and explained that she had failed to stop Sasuke, then asked Naruto to please bring him back to which Naruto promised he would.

The group left and headed after them, after a while of running, they caught up with the Sound Four who were escorting Sasuke to Orochimaru, instead of fighting head-on, the group simply split up and took on the Sound four one by one, leading to a series of battles.

Battle 1: Choji vs. Jirobo!

As the group split up, Choji ended up fighting Jirobo by himself.

After taking 2 secret pills from the Akimichi Clan, Choji was able to increase his chakra enough to keep from being defeated.

In the end, he had to consume the red pepper pill which increased his chakra a hundredfold but leaving him in an extremely critical condition usually resulting in death.

Taking the pill slimmed down his body as the excess calories were converted into huge butterfly wings of chakra.

After getting his revenge on Jirobo for eating the last chip and calling him fat, Choji put all his chakra and power into his fist and killed Jirobo for insulting his best friend Shikamaru.

Battle 2: Neji vs. Kidomaru!

Next up was Neji who ended up fighting Kidomaru.

Kidomaru had trouble at short-range because Neji's Byakugan and Genlte-Fist were too powerful to penetrate, so he ended up fighting at long-range but the battle was locked in a stalemate until Kidomaru discovered a weakness in the Byakugan: it had a blind spot behind Neji's first thoracic vertebrae.

Knowing he would be hit in that area, Neji intentionally allowed Kidomaru to hit him with a powerful arrow that had an affixed chakra string to ensure accuracy.

However, Neji used the string along with his Gentle fist to damage Kidomaru's internal organs, then he caught up with Kidomaru and used his 8 trigrams to close Kidomaru's chakra points which killed him shortly after.

But Neji was left in a critical state after the fight.

Battle 3: Kiba and Akumaru-Kankuro vs. Sakon and Ukon!

Kiba and his partner did an amazing tag-team on Sakon, but he split with Ukon before Kiba and Akumaru could land a finishing blow.

Sakon and Ukon activated their cursed seal to level 2 which made them far too powerful for Kiba and Akumaru to cope with.

The resulting fight left Akumaru injured with Kiba refusing to leave him, without akumaru to do their combo-attacks, they were forced to retreat causing Kiba to stab himself to escape.

Kiba then believed there was no escape and was ready to accept his death, but right before the finishing blow hit, the sand ninja Kankuro arrived to help.

Kankuro's puppets were unaffected by Sakon and Ukon's ability to fuse with cells, when Sakon arrived, he attempted to do the same thing he tried with Kiba, but Kankuro used his new puppet Black Ant to injure Sakon causing them to fuse back and let Ukon take over.

Kankuro then trapped them in his Black Ant puppet and used Karasu to stab them through holes in the Black Ant, then he combined Crow and Black Ant into a devastating combo known as The Black Secret Technique Machine One Shot, thus killing Sakon and Ukon.

Battle 4: Shikamaru-Temari vs. Tayuya!

Shikamaru, despite all his prowess at forming strategies, was unable to kill Tayuya because of her sheer brute force.

He managed to his Shadow Imitation Technique on her three summons, but she quickly dispelled them both.

Then he caught her in his Shadow Imitation Technique, then his Shadow-Neck Binding Technique, but for the first time, Shikamaru wasn't able to come up with any good ideas to defeat Tayuya and was forced to keep his Shadow-Neck Binding Technique on her.

Finally, realizing his efforts were in vain, Shikamaru was ready to accept his fate as Tayuya closed in, but just before she could finish him off, Temari intervened.

Since Tayuya used sound to attack, Temari's wind was a natural enemy, she used her Sickle Weasel Technique which blew away Tayuya and cut her flute in half.

After a quick lesson from Shikamaru about Tayuya's strategies, Temari was ready to finish the fight, after a while, Tayuya fixed her flute and was ready to kill them both, but Temari used her summoning technique, Quick Beheading Dance, which was able to kill Tayuya by blowing up an entire tract of the forest, upon which the latter was crushed under the sliced debris.

Battle 5: Rock Lee and Gaara vs. Kimimaro!

Last but not least, Kimimaro, who was stronger then all the sound four combined, arrived to aid in the escort.

At first, he faced with Naruto, but even Naruto's massive amounts of shadow clones were no match for Kimimaro's taijutsu skills, even with his partners chakra, Naruto was still on the ropes until Rock Lee arrived to help allowing Naruto to pursue Sasuke.

Despite being a taijutsu expert, Lee had only recently recovered from injuries and wasn't in top form after accidently drinking some sake that he thought was medicine which got him intoxicated causing him to use the Drunken Fist Style.

With this added level of unpredictability, Lee gained an advantage over Kimimaro despite not knowing what he was doing, who he was fighting, or why he felt so drunk.

After a while, Kimimaro was forced to do his Dance Of The Camellia, but then Lee appeared to be virtually invincible and landed a devastating blow to Kimimaro.

Realizing there was no chance of defeating Lee in his present state, Kimimaro used his Cursed Seal Level One and overpowered Lee, manifesting his horrific ability to manipulate his bones at will.

Not only that, but Lee began to sober up, and just as he was about to be killed, Gaara arrived using his sand to protect Lee.

For obvious reasons, Kimimaro was at a disadvantage , granted he could only use physical attacks which Gaara was capable of blocking in every way, shape, or form.

However, like the Sound Four, he was able to get past Gaara's defense and offence by sheer brute force, his bones were so tough that they simply forced their way through Gaara's sand.

Even Sand Waterfall Funeral and other crushing forces couldn't bring down Kimimaro, as he created a film of bone beneath his skin to protect himself, he would have defeated and killed Gaara with his final attack, but before he could finish Gaara, his terminal illness ended his life.

_Meanwhile in Konoha…_

Kakashi Hatake was sitting at a tea shop with Kushina explaining how courageous her son was during their missions when he received word on what happened with Sasuke.

Deciding to pursue them, he summoned his ninken, including Pakkun to track down Naruto and Sasuke.

Kushina, refusing to take any chances, hurried after them.

Battle 6: Naruto vs. Sasuke!

After a long delirious run, Naruto finally caught up with Sasuke.

At the top of a waterfall with 2 stone warrior statues on either side, Sasuke stood with his back turned while Naruto was looking right at him.

Naruto was panting as he yelled out, " Sasuke! "

Sasuke didn't answer and kept walking.

Naruto shouted, " You gonna run off again?! "

Sasuke stopped and turned around revealing nearly half of his face covered by the cursed seal which shocked Naruto.

Sasuke replied tauntingly, " So it's you, hopeless little knucklehead. "

The 2 stared at each other for a few moments before Sasuke asked, " Sakura sent you, didn't she? "

Naruto narrowed his eyes as he recalled what Sakura said.

_Flashback of Sakura…_

"_I did everything I could. "_

"_I tried , but I couldn't stop him from leaving the village."_

"_At this point there is only one person who can stop him, only one who can save him."_

"_Naruto, it's all up to you."_

" _Naruto this is a once in a lifetime request."_

" _Just bring him home."_

" _Please bring Sasuke back to me!"_

… _end flashback._

Naruto looked on as Sasuke replied, " Like I already told Sakura, it's over. Just leave me alone. "

Naruto glared at Sasuke who chuckled, " Hmm hmm hmm. Look at you, what's with the angry face? Hmm hmm. "

Naruto was silent as he remembered all the times he and Sasuke worked together as a team to when he had defected.

Finally Naruto asked, " Why Sasuke? Why are you doing this to us? Why would you betray us like this?! "

Sasuke stared for a moment before he said, " Why should you care what I do? It's my concern, not yours. I have my own path to follow now, and neither you nor anyone else can steer me from it. I will tell you this much, my days of playing ninja with you kids in the Leaf village… are done."

Naruto's eyes widened in shock as he remembered what Shikamaru said about Sasuke being a fellow comrade and placing his life on the line to save him as was his ninja way.

As Sasuke turned to leave, he saw a shadow on the ground, looked up and saw Naruto coming at him shouting, " Not so fast! You're gonna tell me your comrades risked their lives for nothing?! "

He lunged at Sasuke and knocked him to the ground before nailing him with a left hook.

Sasuke looked up and spit blood on Naruto's face saying, " My comrades huh? If I had stayed with comrades like you, I never would have gotten this strong. Now I'm going to where Orochimaru is. "

Naruto grabbed Sasuke by his shirt and shouted, " Are you out of your mind?! Orochimaru killed the third Hokage and did everything he could to destroy the leaf village! Whatever you're expecting from him, you think he's freely gonna give it to you?! All he wants is to use your body like a new set of clothes! There'll be nothing left, you'll never get out of there alive! You think I'll just stand by and let you throw your life away?! "

A few moments of silence passed before Sasuke replied coldly, " None of that matters now. The only that matters to me is achieving my goal. If you intend to stand in my way, then it can't be helped. " as he grabbed Naruto.

Naruto then growled, " Well if you aren't gonna listen to reason, then I'll do this by force if I have to."

Then he heard Sasuke chuckle and replied, " What have you got to laugh about?! "

Sasuke answered, " I remember you laughing at me the last time we met. " causing Naruto shock as he remembered what he said to Sasuke the last time they fought.

Sasuke said, " Remember how thrilled you were at the thought of beating me to a bloody pulp? Well, where's your smile now? "

Naruto shouted, " Shut up! I may have felt that way before, but you were different then! I never wanted that fight, and even now I still don't! "

Sasuke sneered and lifted Naruto up with one hand saying, " I couldn't care less what you want."

Sasuke punched Naruto in the stomach, sending him flying off the cliff into the water.

Lookin at his hand, Sasuke thought, _" What is this…? This sudden burst of power radiating from within me? " _then his seal faded.

Then he realized what Orochimaru meant and said, " So this is the power he was talking about! I can feel it flowing through my body! "

Naruto emerged from the water to see Sasuke looking down on him with a smirk on his face, then Naruto shouted, " You're crazy Sasuke!" then they began battling.

Sasuke's Cused Seal Of Heaven, powered up by a pill given to him by the Sound Four gave him inhuman strength which he used to reduce Naruto to almost rag doll levels.

Then, Sasuke and Naruto unleashed their Rasengen and Chidori respectively, causing both of them to fly backwards.

Naruto charged at Sasuke throwing a barrage of punches which Sasuke easily avoided, then kicked Naruto aside.

Activating his cursed seal, Sasuke used his enhanced strength and speed to overcome naruto and strike with a Chidori.

Naruto managed to block the attack, but Sasuke tried to strangle him only to be thrown aside after Naruto contacted the Nine-Tails and was granted enhanced sight, hearing and smell as well as a chakra boost.

With his enhanced abilities, Naruto was able to easily able to overwhelm Sasuke all the while trying to reason with him, only to be rejected for his efforts.

Despite this, Sasuke finally admitted they were equals, and in that moment, Sasuke's Sharingan finally matured, enabling him to predict Naruto's movements and turn the tables once again.

Upset by Naruto's persistence, Sasuke knocked him unconscious with a Perengrine Falcon Drop, as he fell unconscious, Naruto decided to visit Kurama.

_Inside Naruto's mind…_

Naruto awoke panting as he said, " Damn! I never thought he had gotten so strong so soon!

Then he heard a voice he knew all to well saying, " Naruto, you must realize that the power of Orochimaru is unpredictable and very dangerous. The power of darkness is nothing to mess with. "

Naruto walked up to the Kyuubi and asked, " Old friend, is there anything you can do to help me? If I don't do something, I could end up dead. If Sasuke has become that ruthless, I can't hold back. Is there something you can do? "

Kurama smiled and said, " You have trained long and hard Naruto, and because of that I now believe you are worthy of being granted the One-Tail Transformation technique."

Naruto was confused and asked, " What's that? "

Kurama explained, " This power will encase you in a demon fox cloak made of chakra as well as the ability to perform powerful short and long-range attacks that even Sasuke can't predict. "

Naruto stood with resolve and said, " Let's go Kurama! " the he let the fox do his work.

…_back to the real world._

Naruto regained conciousness and attack Sasuke fiercely with his new found power overwhelming the young Uchiha.

Feeling he had no choice, Sasuke activated his cursed seal to level 2, once again leveling the playing field.

Both boys realized the cost of their abilities at that point, but felt they had no other choice, at the same time, Sasuke revealed their location to be The Valley of The End and was determined to end the battle forcing the use of another Chidori.

Using one hand as well as the demon fox chakra cloak as a shell, Naruto created the Demon Fox Resengan while Sasuke's Chidori warped into the Flapping Chidori.

The 2 attacks collided, even though Sasuke intended to punch Naruto in the heart, he deliberately missed and struck him in the gut, while Naruto, referring to one of Sasuke's insults, scratched his headband.

A black energy dome appeared around them which eventually dissipated, when the dust settled, Sasuke stood victorious.

Sasuke pondered on weather or not to kill an unconscious Naruto, but decided to leave him alive because right before Naruto lost conciousness, he shouted in his mind, " Rise Kurama! "

The Kyuubi emerged and charged at Sasuke with all his rage, Sasuke jumped back as the Nine-Tails shouted, " Get your damn hands off him you traitor! "

Sasuke jumped up on one of the statues and said, " Enjoy this while you can dobe, because next time you won't be so lucky." then he continued his way to Otogakure deciding to get the power to kill Itachi in his own way.

Kurama snarled as Sasuke left then said, " I was able to stop this one, but it's not over yet. " then he disappeared into Naruto.

_Meanwhile in the forest…_

Jumping through the trees, Kushina Uzumaki was frantically searching for her son, she had felt the Kyuubi's aura spike, so she knew exactly where Naruto was, but at the same time she was frantically worried, she told Kakashi and his medical team to help the others while she went after Naruto.

Flanked by Pakkun, Kushina saw it was starting to rain and asked, " If this rain increases, will you lose their scent? "

Pakkun answered, " Don't worry. It's just ahead. " then the 2 moved faster.

Kushina finally made it to The Valley of The End, flew down the side of the cliff, and landed on the flat, rocky shore below.

But when she landed, a terrible sight met her arrival, there was Naruto lying motionless on the ground, she raced over screaming, **" NARUTOOOOO! " **then she dropped to her knees and cradled him in her arms as she began to cry.

Suddenly she heard the sound of moaning, she looked down and saw Naruto slowly opening his eyes as he said, " Mom! I'm so happy to see you."

Kushina, still crying asked, " Talk to me sweetheart, what happened? "

Naruto said in a weak voice, " Sasuke… betrayed us. " then he passed out again causing Kushina to hold him tighter as she cried.

It was then that Kakashi arrived and inspected the boy before telling Kushina, " He's unconscious, but alive. Get him out of here quickly."

Kushina nodded then picked up Naruto in both her arms before she said, " It's okay sweetheart, mommy's here. " then she raced off heading back to Konoha.

Kakashi noticed a headband lying on the ground, Pakkun sniffed it and confirmed it was Sasuke's causing Kakashi to say, " I was too late Naruto. I'm sorry."

When Kushina returned to Konoha, she immediately took Naruto to the hospital, Kakashi arrived shortly after and told them that helping Sasuke wasn't needed.

Neji and Choji underwent intensive medical care and were both successfully healed thanks to the Nara clan's healing tome, Tsunade's healing prowess, as well as Shizune and a team of medical-nin.

Kiba and Akumaru were also healed from their moderate injuries under the care of his elder sister Hana.

Shikamaru, with only his finger injured, decided to end his ninja career after putting his team's life in danger and failing his mission regardless, but Shikaku convinced him to persevere.

Shikamaru paid Naruto a visit in his hospital room while Sakura was gravely saddened when she overheard their conversation in which Naruto said that he couldn't save Sasuke.

However, Naruto declared that he would keep his promise no matter what to which Sakura gratefully responded, after she left, Sakura, realizing how useless she had been at keeping Sasuke in Konoha, requested for Tsunade to take her as an apprentice to which Tsunade consented.

Kushina then told Naruto that Jiraiya had something for him after his birthday which was in a few weeks to which excited Naruto, little did he realize that in a few years he would discover something that would make the Akatsuki tremble in fright.

End of Chapter 17.

Note: Only one chapter till Shippuden, so be ready!

PS: For all my fellow Naruhina fans awaiting Hinata's confession, it's only one chapter away.

Hope you all enjoyed.

Until next time!


	20. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Birthday, Departure, Hinata's Special Inheritance.

Note: This chapter will show Naruto's 13th birthday, his departure with Jiraiya, as well as the introduction of the weapon I decided for Hinata. This chapter will be short, but important.

PS: Next chapter will feature the moment my fellow Naruhina fans have been waiting for.

Let the games begin!

1 week after the battle at The Valley of The End, Naruto was finally released from the hospital and returned home with his mother and Hinata.

One week later came Naruto's birthday, Kushina, Jiraiya, Hinata, and Tsunade secretly got everything prepared after asking Sakura to keep him distracted.

As Naruto sat at Ichiraku's with Sakura, she asked, " Naruto, are you alright? "

Naruto answered, " I'm afraid not Sakura. Because today is a time that brings back dreadful memories. "

Sakura was puzzled and asked, " What do you mean Naruto? "

His answer was, " Sakura, what's today's date? "

She replied, " October 10th, why? "

Naruto replied sadly, " Today's my birthday Sakura. A day I dread more then any other, because for as long as I can remember, every birthday I had was spent in hiding at the Hokage tower from angry people, then returning home to see my apartment trashed. Each year it got worse and worse, it got so bad all the time that when I went to bed last night, I had hoped and prayed that I wouldn't wake up this morning. That is why I'm not happy about today because even if I try to have a birthday, a mob would come in and ruin it. I'm also afraid my mom forgot my birthday. "

Sakura knew that wasn't true, but Hinata wanted her to keep Naruto distracted while they prepared his surprise.

Sakura finally said, " It got so bad that you couldn't even enjoy your own birthday without living in fear? "

Naruto nodded sadly.

Sakura replied sadly, " I never knew it was like that. I used to think you were just a mischievous kid trying to cause problems, but that wasn't true. You were just misunderstood. I mean, for 12 years you were treated like an outcast, not knowing why. But now you know, that those who should have loved you instead shunned you because of that incident, and threw you into loneliness and pain. I can't believe they were so cruel to you over something you knew nothing about and had no control over. I wish I had known that sooner, then we may have gotten along better. I'm so sorry Naruto. "

Ever since the exams as well as the aftermath of the invasion, and a better understanding of Naruto's life, Sakura had gained a better sense of respect and began to recognize him as not just her teammate, but as a friend also.

She already knew that Naruto had a crush on Hinata and didn't wish to interfere, but that didn't mean she couldn't help a friend in need, she reached over and gave him a friendly hug to show that she really did feel sorry for him.

Naruto smiled a bit before he replied, " Sakura, showing that you care makes me feel a little better. "

Sakura smiled and said, " That's what friends are for Naruto, they help each other. Oh, and by the way, Happy Birthday Naruto. "

Naruto smiled and said, " Thanks Sakura. "

She smiled and answered, " Anytime. Well, I need to get going, I have training with Tsunade later. Also Naruto, Tsunade wants to see you in her office at 4pm this afternoon. She said it was very important." then she left.

That afternoon as Naruto made his way to the tower, he still felt glum remembering this as one of his most terrible days, and now he was afraid his mom had forgotten his birthday because he hadn't heard from her all day, but he held his head high and kept going.

He was wearing black sandals, blue jeans, a black t-shirt and a black cardigan as he entered the tower.

As soon as he entered the front door and closed it, he heard loud voices yelling, " Surprise! "

He turned and saw Hinata and Kushina behind him, after a small shock, Naruto laughed a little as he asked, " W-w-what is going on here?! "

Hinata put her hands on his shoulders, smiling as she said, " It's your lucky day Naruto, we wanted to surprise you with a birthday special. "

Naruto face was shocked with surprise before he asked, " So you didn't forget my birthday, huh? "

Kushina hugged him with a smile as she replied, " Oh, of course we didn't sweetheart. Let's go, the others are waiting."

Naruto was excited as he followed them.

As they entered Tsunade's office, everyone who was present watched as Naruto came, Tsunade was the first to speak, " Happy Birthday Naruto! We asked Sakura to keep you distracted while we got everything ready. "

Naruto smiled with tears of joy before he ran over and hugged Tsunade before he said, " Thank you Grandma Tsunade."

Everyone, except Kushina, and Shizune were confused as to why he said that, so Sakura asked, " Um, Lady Tsunade, wasn't it a little rude for him to call you that? "

Tsunade scoffed a bit before she said, " Oh jeez! How embarrassing. Didn't I tell you Sakura? He's my grandson."

Everyone, even Hinata was stunned, so she asked, " N-naruto, the Fifth Hokage is your grandmother? "

Naruto answered, " That would be correct Hinata."

Sakura then replied, " Come on everyone, let us not get bogged down with tension. Let's help Naruto enjoy his special day. " to which they all agreed.

Then he looked at everyone else and said, " Thank you. All of you."

There were 6 guests all together: Hinata, Sakura, Jiraiya, Kushina, Tsunade, and finally, the last person he expected to see: Hinata's father, Hiashi.

Naruto asked him, " Hiashi? I didn't know you were gonna be here! "

Hiashi smiled before he said, " You didn't know? Me and your mom were old friends, so for me to refuse attending her son's special day would be disrespectful."

Naruto replied, " Well it's an honor to have you here. "

Hiashi just laughed.

For the rest of the afternoon, Naruto had to admit that he was enjoying himself immensely.

After a huge chicken and ramen dinner, a vanilla flavored cake with chocolate frosting, time came for the gifts.

He got 6 gifts all together, from Hiashi, he got a book containing dozens of chakra control exercises.

From Hinata and Sakura, he got 2 certificates for free ramen at Ichiraku's.

From his mom and Tsunade, he got a new set of shuriken made of the finest steel in Konoha and a pair of black fingerless battle gloves.

When it came time for Jiraiya's gift, he looked at Tsunade and Kushina who nodded, then he pulled out a kunai and handed it to Naruto, the kunai was oddly shaped, it looked like a regular one, except the blade was longer and it had 2 prongs protruding from the sides.

Naruto was confused and asked, " What kind of kunai is this? "

Jiraiya answered, " Naruto, that is no ordinary kunai. It's called The Flying Thunder Kunai. It belonged to your father, but it's not just a weapon, it also grants the wielder the power to teleport from place to place."

Naruto was stunned and said, " Awesome! I'm gonna carry this everywhere with me. "

Everyone laughed at his antics.

At the end of the day, before Naruto went to sleep, his mom asked him, " So Naruto, did you enjoy your birthday? "

Naruto gave a tearful smile, hugged Kushina and responded, " Mom, that was the best birthday I ever had. "

Kushina smiled and said, " That's great Naruto. "

Then he went to bed with a smile on his face.

3 days later, Jiraiya explained to Naruto about his plan to take him on a two and a half year training trip to make him strong enough to fight the Akatsuki.

At first, Naruto was thrilled with a chance to become stronger, but was saddened when he learned he would have to leave his family and friends behind.

Tsunade and Kushina comforted him, Tsunade replied, " I've only had you in my life for a few months Naruto, but I know this trip will make you stronger and wiser for the better. No matter where you are, you are still my grandson, and I love you. "

Naruto looked at Hinata and said, " I'm gonna miss you Hinata. We've always been great friends. That reminds me, when I return, I have something very important to tell you. "

Hinata smiled and replied, " Same goes for me Naruto. "

Finally he turned to his mother and said sadly, " I'm really going to miss you mom, I've only had you back in my life for 8 months, but the time we had together means the world to me. I was so overjoyed when I heard you were alive that I just can't describe the happiness I felt."

Kushina went over to Jiraiya and asked, " Will you watch out for him Jiraiya? Naruto is my only son, if I lose him, I won't have anything left. Please protect him. "

Jiraiya replied seriously, " I will watch out for him, you have my word. "

Naruto went over to Tsunade in tears and said, " Goodbye Grandma Tsunade, I'm really gonna miss you."

Tsunade cried as she said, " I love you Naruto, and I'll miss you too. "

Lastly, he went over to Kushina who was crying hard and said in tears, " I love you so much mom. I suppose this is goodbye for now. I'll miss you mommy."

Kushina answered, " Goodbye for now my son. I will always love you."

Then, after one final hug, Naruto bravely turned away and left with Jiraiya.

_Timeskip-1 month…_

1 month after Naruto left, Hinata got word from Neji that it was time to start her training, after 1 month of intense training under Neji's guidance, Hinata mastered her Byakugan as well as her Gentle-Fist and was able to stand toe-to-toe with Neji.

10 months afterward, Hinata entered the chunin exams a second time, because of her skill and training from Kushina and Neji, Hinata blasted her way to the finals and found herself among the winners, then two weeks later when she turned 14, Hinata received word from Tsunade that she had passed and was elevated to the rank of Chunin.

At this point, Hinata was still living with Kushina, but her fathers chance to reunite the clan would come soon.

Remembering what Hiashi had said, Kushina took Hinata to the compound where her father was waiting.

Hiashi said, " Hinata, the reason I called you here was because of something your mother left for you when she died."

At the mention of her mother, Hinata started to tear up as she said, " Father, I miss her. "

Hiashi replied, " So do I, Hinata. Anyway, she wanted you to have this when you were old enough. Neji! "

Neji came over with a wodden box that was 20 inches long, 4 inches tall, and 6 inches wide.

Hiashi reached over and opened it, when he turned around, he had in his hand a dagger with a 6 inch handle and a 12 inch blade housed in a leather sheath with 2 handle straps held together by a metal snap-on button.

Hinata was stunned and asked, " What is it? "

Hiashi answered, " Your mother's Chakra Dagger. She too was a kunoichi and this was her personal side-arm, the main weapon she always carried into battle. It's true power was so destructive, she tried never to use it in battle, but soon you will learn it's true abilities. This weapon is also generational, it belonged to your mother, her mother, and her grandmother. And now it belongs to you Hinata. " then he held it out in the way that a master gives a weapon to their student.

Hinata took it and said with tears of joy, " Thank you. I will treasure it always. "

Hiashi smiled and said, " Guard well this weapon Hinata, for one day it will guard your life."

Hinata bowed and replied, " Thank you father." then she went home with Kushina.

That night when Hinata went to bed, she thought to herself, _" It's been so long since I last saw Naruto. I wonder how he's doing. I hope when he gets back, I can finally tell him what I've wanted to for so long. "_

Little did she know that Naruto was thinking the exact same thing…

End of Chapter 18.

Note: To see what the dagger looks like, look up Konoha Chakra Blade from Naruto Shippuden 4: The Lost Tower.

PS: Next chapter is the moment all my fellow Naruhina fans have been waiting for, as well as a special plot twist I devised.

I would also like to thank someone who goes by the name of mr1980rivera for being the 100th person to follow my story.

I humbly ask for this individual to express his reason for following my story.

See you later!


	21. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Return, A Joyous Evening.

Note: Here we are, the moment you've all been waiting! I added a song to this chapter. You must listen to it while reading to understand.

PS: this chapter may be short, but the next one will be longer.

Let's go!

After 2 and a half long years, at the age of 15, Naruto returned home with Jiraiya.

The young Uzumaki had changed dramatically over the years, he was now 5ft tall and quite muscular, his wardrobe also changed, he now wore a black track suit with vertical orange stripes running down the sides, a vest of Aramid armor underneath, a pair of black leather tabi boots running up to his thighs, each one with a zipper on one side and a set of string fasteners on the other for a more snug fit, he also wore the fingerless battle gloves he got on his 13th birthday, as well as his headband which was longer and had gone from blue to black.

His standard kunai was attached to his leg as usual, his shuriken pouch was on his waist as well as his sword and his father's thunder kunai.

As Naruto entered Konoha with Jiraiya, he thought to himself,_ " It's great to be home! "_

Jiraiya told an ANBU to inform Tsunade of their return and told Naruto to go meet his family, which Naruto happily jumped at and ran off leaving Jiraiya to himself.

As Naruto entered Tsunade's office, he was surprised to see her, Sakura and Kushina waiting for him.

Tsunade hadn't changed very much, she still had the same clothes as before except that her green robe was tied with an obi belt, she also had on a black wide-sleeve haori were the hem went down to the mid point of her calves, apparently, it was designed to allow freedom of movement in battle. And to top it off, her Kusanagi sword was strapped firmly to her waist.

Finally she spoke, " Welcome home my beloved grandson! Wow! You've really changed."

" I guess so Grandma Tsunade. " replied Naruto sheepishly as he embraced her.

Just then he asked, " So, have you mastered that sword you managed to steal from Orochimaru? "

Tsunade grinned, " Yes, I have. And let me tell you Naruto, as powerful as this sword is, I'm glad I took it when I did." she said.

Naruto smirked, " That's great Grandma Tsunade! " he said excitedly.

Tsunade just giggled.

Afterward, he turned to Sakura.

" Naruto! You're back! " Sakura yelled happily.

" Yep. I just returned Sakura." Naruto said.

The 2 friends hugged eachother, in the process, Naruto realized that Sakura had changed quite a bit.

She was wearing a red vest that resembled her old dress from when she was a genin as well as a red fleece jacket for women on the outside, she also had on a pair of black tight leather pants as well as a pair of grey ninja sandals that resembled high-heeled boots except that the toes were exposed, she was wearing her headband which was now red.

Her standard weapons were in their usual places, but when Naruto tilted his head, he noticed what looked like a 2 foot long metal stick held in a leather sheath attached to her back.

" Sakura, what's that on your back? " asked Naruto.

Sakura pulled it out and answered, " This Naruto, is my new weapon, " then with a twist and a pull, the stick came apart leaving Sakura with a set of twin ninja daggers, both with a 12 inch handle and a 12 inch blade.

Then she said, " Because I have 2 daggers, I can block or attack with each one individually. and since they're short and light, I can wield them at a very fast pace. Or if I want, I can do this.'

She showed Naruto that the daggers could be screwed together at end of both handles giving Sakura a 4-foot long double-bladed spear.

" If the situation becomes desperate and my daggers aren't enough, this spear allows me to reach out further, keep my enemy at a distance, and still be able to take 'em down."

Naruto was impressed to say the least, then he said, " I really look forward to seeing you in action with that, Sakura. "

Sakura thanked him for the compliment.

Then he turned to see his mother staring at him with a tearful smile.

" N-naruto? " Kushina asked quietly.

Naruto joyfully smiled and ran to her screaming, " Mother! "

" Naruto! " shouted Kushina as she moved towards him.

Naruto finally caught up and hugged her as tightly as he could.

" I've missed you! " cried Naruto happily with tears of joy.

" Oh Naruto, it's been so long! It feels great to have you back in my arms. " cried Kushina joyfully.

Then she got on her knees and examined him before saying, " I can't believe how much you've grown."

" Yes, I have Jiraiya to thank for that. " he said proudly.

Kushina asked, " That's right, what became of him? "

" He came back with me. He's probably on his way here as we speak. " Naruto clarified.

" Very good. " smiled Kushina.

Tsunade came up with a devious plan to tease Naruto a bit by mentioning Jiraiya's famous book series right in front of her grandson.

She turned and asked, " Naruto, did Jiraiya ever shove his books in your face? "

Naruto answered, " No, not that I remember. "

Tsunade replied with an evil grin, " Well I'll tell you one thing Naruto, the next chance he gets, he's gonna make you read his latest issue of Icha Icha Paradise. "

What happened next took everyone by surprise, even Kushina was taken aback by this.

Naruto, knowing where Tsunade was coming from, replied smugly, " Tell him I already read it myself! And I didn't like it either, I consider it crappy and poorly thought out. If he wants to read me something, how about The Gentlemen's Guide to The Golden Age of Tongue -Kissing, huh? "

After a loud laugh, Kushina asked, " Seriously Naruto, did he make you read any of his books? '

Naruto truthfully said, " No mom, and besides, I was too preoccupied with training to even think about that stuff."

Kushina smiled with relief.

After getting a good look at his mom, Naruto noticed that she had changed barely at all, except that she was wearing her old black jonin uniform which consisted of a black turtle-neck sweater, black tight-fitting pants, black shinobi sandals, her Jonin vest dyed red to match her hair, her head band was tied around her head with the metal leaf plate being the only visable part, and finally her sword was in it's usual place like all her other weapons.

Naruto then replied, " Well mom, I guess this means you're leading your own team now, huh?"

Kushina shook her head with a smile and answered, " No sweetheart, me and your grandmother agreed to reinstate me as a jonin-level kunoichi, but because of certain risks and threats these days, my job is security and patrol work, keeping an eye out for intruders in case we experience a threat."

Naruto was relieved that he didn't need to worry about his mother being away from the village and hugged her again smiling.

" So what did you learn on your journey Naruto? " asked Sakura.

So Naruto went on to explain about what he learned during his trip with Jiraiya as well as his new powers and skills, when he finished, everyone in the room was stunned!

" Wow! You must have had quite a journey, huh Naruto? " asked Sakura.

" Yeah, it was long and tiring, but I know it'll pay off. So what's changed since my absence? " asked Naruto

Tsunade explained what happened over the years and that all his friends ascended to higher ranks, especially Neji who became Jonin at 17 and Hinata who at 14 became chunin.

" Oh yeah that reminds me, I wanted to tell Hinata something when I got back. Where is she? " he asked.

Tsunade answered, " Right now she's on a mission with team 8 in the mountains north of here. She should be back in a few hours. "

Kushina raised an eyebrow, " What did you want to tell her Naruto? "

" Well… Um… I…uh… You see, I…" Naruto said nervously twitching his hands.

Kushina gave a gentle smile before asking, " You love her, don't you? "

Naruto nodded.

" I thought so. " Kushina said.

Then she went on to tell him about the nature of falling in love and what it meant as well as what it could lead to.

By the time she was done, Naruto realized that whatever way he approached it, he would need to proceed with caution.

That's when Kushina said, " Go to her, tell her how you feel. "

" What if she doesn't feel the same way? " he asked in a nervous manner.

" Well you won't know unless you ask. " answered Kushina.

Naruto was about to ask her something when he accidentally knocked something off Tsunade's desk, as he bent down to pick it up, he noticed something odd about it, it looked like a tonfa except there was a sharp tip protruding from the short side.

Naruto was puzzled and said, " This is a strange looking tonfa. "

Kushina took it with a smile and replied, " Hmm. Yes, I made it by myself. This is the weapon I use for sneak-attacks. For example, I have the long end here which I use to bash my opponent, then spin it around and use the sharp end to stab them. I also use a technique called chakra concealment making it easy for me to conceal this weapon. "

" Wow mom. You've really been busy while I was away." exclaimed Naruto.

" Yes sweetheart, but remember, I only use it for sneak-attacks, my main weapon is still my sword." smiled Kushina.

Naruto nodded and left the office leaving the others alone.

Later that afternoon, as Naruto was walking down the street, he rounded a corner and spotted Hinata, his eyes widened when he saw her.

Hinata had also changed over the years, to Naruto, she looked even more beautiful at the age of 15 then she did before, she was taller, more defined, and not to mention, very elegant.

Her hair was longer and reached the middle of her back, she wore black sandals, blue jeans, a baggy hodded jacket that was white and lavender colored, she had her kunai attached to her leg and her shuriken pouch in the usual places, but concealed under her baggy jacket, her chakra dagger was in it's sheath which was attached to her back allowing her to unleash it with stealth and deadly accuracy.

Naruto was nervous, but held his head high,, and bravely approached her.

Hinata was at a muffin shop enjoying some cinnamon rolls when she heard a voice say, " Hey Hinata! "

She turned and saw Naruto coming towards her which caused her to blush with tears of joy as she asked, " N-naruto, is that you? "

" It's me Hinata, I just returned with Jiraiya today." Naruto answered.

" W-well, can you tell me what you learned? " asked Hinata.

" Sure, why not. " replied Naruto.

And so for the next 30 minutes, Naruto explained to Hinata what he had learned during his trip, by the time he was done, Hinata was stunned.

" You've really come a long way Naruto. I actually feel kinda weak compared to you." she said sadly.

Naruto scoffed and said, " Nonsense Hinata! I heard reports from Grandma Tsunade that you've become quite a fine kunoichi yourself if the look of resolve in your eyes is anything to go by."

" Th-th-thank you, N-naruto." she replied with a blush.

" Oh Hinata, that reminds me, could you meet me at training ground 5 in one hour? I have something very important to tell you." Naruto replied seriously.

" S-sure, I'll be there." answered Hinata.

Naruto nodded and left causing Hinata to think, _" What does he want to tell me? "_

1 hour later, Hinata arrived at training ground 5 and there was Naruto waiting for her sitting near a tree with his radio player near him, she walked up to him and said, " I'm here Naruto."

Naruto stood up, turned around and replied, " Hinata, you made it. Now, do you remember what I said to you before I left with Jiraiya, that I had to tell you something when I got back and you had to do the same? "

Hinata nodded.

" Well, before I say my piece, I want to hear what you want to say." answered Naruto.

Hinata shivered a bit, but she looked at him and replied, " W-well Naruto, ever since I was a little girl, I was always looked down on and treated badly because of my gentle nature. Eventually, it got to the point where I started to feel like I wasn't good enough to be a ninja, that is until i met you Naruto. You were my inspiration, my courage, my resolve, you were the person who me the strength and resolve to keep going and to never give up. You changed me and made me realize that I had what it took to succeed, and that all I had to do was believe in myself. For that, I would do anything to remain at your side, the reason for that is…because…I love you Naruto."

Naruto was stunned beyond belief !

After a few moments, he said with a smile, " Hinata, all my life I was shunned and treated like an outcast because of something I knew nothing about and had no control over. I used to think that there was no one who cared or even wondered how I felt. But looking back, I realize now that I was wrong. You were always there for me Hinata, you never put me down, you never shunned me, cast me aside, or treated me badly. That's when I realized who you really were, a kind, caring, and gentle girl with a heart of gold who saw me for who I am. That's why I've always…kind of…loved you too."

Hinata couldn't believe what she had heard, she felt tears of joy forming in her eyes as she said quietly, " I love you, Naruto Uzumaki."

" And I love you, Hinata Hyuga." replied Naruto, then he closed his eyes, leaned in, and gently planted a kiss on her lips.

Never mind Hinata's eyes going wide… they damn near popped out of her head!

A few moments later, her eyes grew heavy as she closed them and leaned in deepening the kiss, which put her in a state of complete bliss as she thought, _" How I imagined this moment. Now I can feel it for real! "_

After a few moments of kissing, the 2 had to separate for air, Hinata was feeling dizzy and lightheaded from the moment until Naruto said, "Remember this Hinata, from this day on, you and I are one, now and forever."

" Is that a promise Naruto? " asked Hinata.

" Believe it." replied Naruto.

And then he said, " I have a little surprise for you Hinata, to consummate our love."

Hinata asked, " What do you mean Naruto? "

Naruto smiled, walked over to his radio, and pressed play saying, " It's a special song I planned for you Hinata."

Then he walked over as the tune began and asked, " Shall we dance? "

Hinata blushed, took his hand, and shared a gentle dance with Naruto as the lyrics began.

_( Song: Can you feel the love tonight? from The Lion King. )_

_There's a calm surrender to the rush of day_

_When the heat of a rolling wind can be turned away_

_An enchanted moment and it sees me through_

_It's enough for this restless warrior just to be with you_

_And can you feel the love tonight ( tonight) it is where we are_

_It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer __that we got this far_

_And can you feel the love tonight ( tonight) how it's laid to rest_

_It's enough to make kings and vagabonds believe the very best_

By this time, the 2 were unaware that Sakura, Ino, and Tenten were watching and joyfully crying at the romantic scene before them

_There's a time for everyone if they only learn_

_That the twisting kaleidoscope moves us all in turn_

_There's a rhyme and reason to the wild out doors_

_When the heart of this star-crossed voyager beats in time with yours_

_And can you feel the love tonight (tonight) it is where we are_

_It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer __that we got this far_

_And can you feel the love tonight (tonight) how it's laid to rest_

_It's enough to make kings and vagabonds believe the very best_

_It's enough to make kings and vagabonds believe the very best._

_...end of song._

When the song ended, Hinata was speechless while Naruto just smiled at her after their dance.

Finally she found her voice and said with tears of joy, " That was beautiful Naruto. I never thought you were this romantic."

Naruto smiled and said, " Anything for you my princess."

Hinata blushed at that.

Then he pulled her into a hug that lasted for a few moments before she told him she was going to a sleepover at Sakura's.

Naruto smiled and told her to go have fun.

After she left, Naruto went home and found his mother waiting for him with dinner, after they finished, his mom asked, " So my son, how did it go? "

What mom? " he asked.

" You know, Hinata. What did she say? " Kushina clarified.

Naruto answered, " Well, let's just say that as of now, she and I are officially together."

Kushina hugged her son with a genuine smile as she said, " congradulations my son."

" Thanks mom. " replied Naruto as he hugged her back.

When Hinata arrived at Sakura's house, she saw Sakura, Ino, Tenten all crying with tears of happiness.

" What's the matter Sakura? Why are you guys crying about? " asked Hinata.

Sakura answered, " We were taking a walk through the training grounds when we heard this beautiful song playing. So we followed the sound to it's source and saw you and Naruto dancing together. The scene was so romantic that we couldn't help but cry at how beautiful it looked. I had no idea Naruto was such a romantic."

Hinata was embarrassed and asked, " You saw us?! "

Ino replied, " We won't tell anyone Hinata. We never knew you had it in you. Well done." then she got up and praised Hinata by giving her a hug.

Tenten spoke up, " The way you moved so gracefully to the lyrics, that was so beautiful I had to cry."

Unknown to them however, Hinata, Naruto and Kushina were all thinking the exact same thing as they went to bed,_ " There was never a doubt in my mind, ever. "_

End of Chapter 19.

Note: There you go! Naruto and Hinata are a couple at last. I don't own the song or the lion king, they belong to their respective owners.

For those of you who don't know, the song was vocalized by a man named Elton John.

I know there are people who don't like him for certain reasons which I didn't know about until a few months ago, as such, it would be improper for me to explain what those reasons are, look it up if you want to know.

As for what I think about him, when I was little boy in the 1990's, that man was a legend in his own way, and to this day because of that, I still admire him greatly no matter what anybody says.

Hope you all enjoyed.

Until next time!


	22. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: The Awakening Part 1, A Long Kept Secret.

Note: And so begins the plot twist I was talking about. This chapter will show some power of Hinata's dagger. Some of you may not like it but it took me 3 hours to come up with.

All my readers should know by now that every song I put in this story must be listened to while reading this to understand it. I have put another song in here to make another romantic scene.

Let the games begin.

3 days had passed since that romantic evening, to say that Naruto and Hinata were inseperable would be an understatement, they just couldn't stand to be more then 2 feet away from each other for long periods of time.

It was 9am in the morning, both teens were at the training grounds having a sparring match, Naruto wanted to see what Hinata had learned since he had been gone.

Before the match started, Naruto was against using any chakra attacks saying this was a test of skill and not power which Hinata understood and agreed.

Round 1- Taijutsu.

Naruto took his stance and said, " Ready Hinata? "

Hinata assumed her stance and declared, " Ready! "

Naruto ran forward and threw a punch which Hinata quickly dodged.

Hinata started her new technique which she called the Spiral Arrow, she jumped up and started throwing a spiral spinning kick at Naruto.

The blow hit him in the stomach causing him to fall backwards a bit, Naruto regained his bearings, leaped forward and struck with a flip kick which struck Hinata in the chest making her gasp with a quick blush which stopped almost immediately as she tumbled backwards almost loosing her balance, but she regained her footing and started again.

Afterward, Naruto started throwing a barrage of strikes at Hinata which forced her on the defensive, eventually he landed a blow on her shoulder, but Hinata was unfazed by it.

Naruto then delivered a flying power kick towards her, but he narrowly missed as Hinata ducked aside then swung her leg up attempting to hit Naruto in the stomach.

Naruto blocked, gripped her leg and tried to throw her off of him, but she pulled her leg back and threw a swift uppercut only to be blocked by Naruto who with a quick roundhouse kick, knocked Hinata off balance.

Hinata backflipped and used her Spinning Bird Kick which caught Naruto off guard and hit him in the face.

Naruto regained his bearings, dropped to the ground and with a quick spin, he tripped Hinata making her fall to the ground while he flipped aside, took his distance and said, " You've show great speed Hinata. You might be on par with me in that area."

Hinata answered sarcastically, " Oh, you say that but you don't mean it. "

Naruto answered, " I'm serious my princess, I really do believe you could match me speed for speed. "

Hinata smiled with delight as Naruto pulled her into a passionate kiss that lasted for a few moments before Hinata asked, " Naruto, why are you so nice to me like this? "

Naruto smirked and answered, " Because you're my princess. " making her blush again.

Hinata then said, " Alright Naruto, time to go for the blades."

Round 2- Kenjutsu.

Naruto asked, " Hinata, are you sure you want to do this? Because you don't have a sword of any kind."

Hinata drew her dagger and replied with a sneaky smile, " You were saying Naruto? "

Naruto looked at the dagger and replied, " Interesting Hinata, but I'm not sure it's enough. "

Unknown to her, 2 weeks before returning to Konoha, Naruto had spent a great deal of time upgrading, enhancing, and retrofitting his sword to make it longer, ( in preparation for his battle with Sasuke ) he had managed to make it 6 inches longer to reach 30 inches.

Naruto extended his sword to it's full length causing Hinata to say, " You sneaky bastard."

Naruto just smirked and said, " Let's see you beat that Hinata. "

Hinata gave a devious grin before saying, " Alright. " then she focused and a huge burst of blue chakra engulfed her weapon.

When it faded, Naruto was stunned to see that Hinata's weapon had changed dramatically, the handle had increased by 4 inches ending with a 1-inch diameter ring on the bottom like a regular kunai, the blade length had grown by 14 inches leaving Hinata with a weapon that resembled a 3-foot long European broadsword.

Naruto gripped his sword while Hinata gripped her own, he then said, " Let's go Hinata."

Hinata nodded then the 2 charged at each other.

Naruto swung his blade in a downward strike only to be block by Hinata who knocked the blade away and swung her sword in a horizontal direction.

Naruto ducked and kicked the blade away from him, then started throwing a barrage of blade strikes at Hinata, who thanks to her Byakugan, was able to avoid most of them, but she still got a few nicks here and there, but hidden under her jacket was an armor vest made from the same blade-proof material as Naruto's and his mothers.

Hinata leaped backwards then charged at Naruto again with her Byakugan at full strength swinging her sword left and right forcing Naruto to go the defensive.

Naruto jumped up and threw a kunai at Hinata who knocked it away with her blade just in time to parry another attack from Naruto's sword.

Hinata forced Naruto's sword away, jumped backwards, and launched a barrage of kunai at Naruto in the hopes of catching him off guard.

But Naruto was ready, using the thumb loop on the sword, Naruto began spinning the weapon in front of him, creating a circular barrier that deflected all the kunai.

After that, he stopped the spinning, gripped the sword and took his distance.

Hinata was panting as she thought, _" He's fast! "_

Naruto was sweating and thought to himself, _" She's quicker than i thought! "_

Then he activated his sage-mode and replied, " Hinata, I think we oughta take this up a notch. What you see here is my new Sage-Mode, it gives a better sense of my surroundings and let's me detect certain movements and entities. I know you have something similar to this, so we're going for another round. But this time, I want you to use your Kekkie Genkei against me. "

Hinata clearly understood what he meant, standing up with a grin, Hinata activated her Byakugan, took her stance and replied, " I'm ready Naruto. Let's do this! "

Naruto nodded, then the 2 teens charged each other.

_1 hour later..._

When it was over, both of them were nearly exhausted and tired, Naruto walked up to Hinata and commented, " That was awesome Hinata! You stood head-to-head with me in Kenjutsu, Taijutsu, as well as your Byakugan martching up with my Sage-Mode! That was impressive! "

Hinata smiled and replied, " Thanks Naruto. Your mother trained me a great deal. I am now like the best chunin-level kunoichi in the village."

Naruto grinned at that as he embraced her.

As the 2 teens hugged, an ANBU arrived and replied, " Naruto, sorry to disturb you, but Lady Tsunade has requested your presence. She said it was extremely important. "

Hinata was worried, but Naruto simply told her not to worry, saying it was probably just an error problem.

Hinata smiled with relief as Naruto headed off.

When he entered his grandmothers office, his mom was also there looking very serious.

As he took a seat, he said anxiously, " It's me grandma Tsunade, you wanted to see me? "

The 2 women looked at each other and nodded before Tsunade replied, " Naruto, there's something your mother and I have been meaning to tell you."

Naruto asked, " What would that be? "

Tsunade and Kushina then went on to explain to Naruto about his own heritage and the fact that the 4th Hokage was in fact his father.

To say that Naruto was stunned would be an understatement… he was downright shocked!

Tsunade then asked, " Naruto, you're familiar with summoning jutsu right? "

Naruto nodded.

Tsunade continued, " Well, your father was a summoner as well. But the creature he summoned was said to be so powerful and so destructive, legend has it that the only one capable of standing head-to-head with this beast was the Kyuubi himself. "

Naruto asked, " Okay, so what does this have to do with me? "

Kushina replied, " Let me explain Naruto. For centuries, this creature was used as a weapon of mass destruction for those who signed a contract with it. The carnage continued until your father somehow tamed the creature and signed a contract with the beast that it would defend your father and his descendants till the end of time."

Naruto asked, " Well, when my father signed the contract, what were the creatures demands? "

Kushina answered, " We don't know. All we know is that whatever the demands were, your father obeyed them and the creature followed him like it's master. "

Tsunade continued, " But that's only half the picture. It was through the power of this creature that your father was able to seal the Nine-Tails inside of you, but the strain and the amount of power used was so great that when your father died, it sealed the creature into a dormant sleep."

Naruto asked, " So what does this have to do with me? "

Tsunade answered, " Because Naruto, legend has it that when the creature was sealed into dormancy, only the blood of a Namikaze could awaken it."

Naruto listened intently while thinking, _" If the creature was that powerful…"_

Then he asked, " So what does this creature look like? "

Tsunade answered, " No one knows. Everywhere this creature went, people described a huge destructive lightning storm of epic porportions. Wherever it passed, only flaming ruins remained. That reminds me Naruto, I need to give you this."

She handed him a small piece of paper that looked to be some kind of map.

Naruto asked, " What is this, Grandma Tsunade? "

Kushina replied, " It's a map that leads to where the creature lay dormant. I know because your father told me about it before the Kyuubi attacked. To come to the point Naruto, we called you here to ask you if would like to find and awaken this creature seeing as it used to protect your father. Only a true Namikaze can revive this beast."

Naruto pondered for a moment before saying, " This is a lot for me to take in at once. Give me a few days to think about it."

The 2 women nodded as Naruto left.

Tsunade whispered, " Maybe we should have said it more carefully, huh? "

Kushina nodded.

_Timeskip- 2 days…_

Naruto was at training ground 9 sparring with Hinata when he heard Sakura call out, "Naruto! "

Naruto stopped sparring, turned around and answered, " Yes Sakura? "

Holding out her daggers, Sakura replied, " If you're done with your girls lips, I would have proper contest. "

Kiba, who was sparring nearby with Shikimaru, said jokingly, " The gods bless Naruto with another tiny girl to pound! "

Everyone laughed, even Naruto who after a moment said, " Kiba, the language."

Kiba just chuckled while Naruto began testing his ANBU sword against Sakura's spear.

_Timeskip- 2 days…_

It had been 4 days since Naruto had learned about his heritage, as well as the creature his father controlled, he had seriously considered embarking on the quest.

His silence got Hinata a little concerned, but he told her not to worry about it saying it wasn't anything serious.

He was currently on his way to Ichiraku's when he accidently bumped into Sakura who said out loud, " Oops! Sorry Naruto, I didn't see you there. "

Naruto chuckled, " My apologies Sakura, I wasn't paying attention."

Sakura then asked, " Naruto, you've been very quiet lately. Something bothering you? "

Naruto replied, " Yes, I've been thinking about this mission Grandma Tsunade gave me."

Sakura asked, " What kind of mission? "

Naruto said, " Can't tell you Sakura. It's top secret."

Sakura nodded with understanding, and left.

Naruto entered Tsunade's office to find her walking down the hallway towards him.

She spoke up, " Something you need my grandson? "

Naruto answered, " Yes, remember when you told me about that creature my summoned, how you thought I should look for it and that only a true Namikaze could awaken it? "

Tsunade nodded.

Naruto replied calmly, " I'll do it."

Tsunade went wide-eyed as she said, " Naruto, you really need to think about th- "

Whatever she intended to say died as Naruto replied, " I have Grandma Tsunade. I spent 4 days thinking about it and I've made my decision. If the creature is as powerful as the legend says, and if I could locate and awaken it, it may very well prove to be a very powerful ally to us. And besides, because of the threat we're facing from the Akatsuki, if we are to survive this inevitable threat, we'll need all the help we can get, no matter where it comes from."

Tsunade was impressed at Naruto's judgement and answered proudly, " I had a feeling you'd say yes Naruto. So when do you plan on going? "

Naruto said, " Well, it could take me a week to reach The Land of The Lightning if I go by foot. So I intend to leave tomorrow before daybreak."

Tsunade smiled and said, " Very well Naruto. I'll inform your mom that you made your decision. Although I should warn you Naruto, if you choose to undertake this mission, you might have to go alone because only a direct descendant of your father can revive this creature."

Naruto's eyes were filled with resolve as he replied, " That's a chance I'll have to take. I will come back. "

Tsunade could tell he wasn't lying and nodded with a smile before she left to inform Kushina.

As Naruto trudged through the streets of Konoha, he decided to find Hinata wanting to take her on a special date tonight, as he realized he would be gone for a while and she would probably miss him.

Actually…scratch that last statement.

He knew she would miss him dreadfully.

Naruto finally found Hinata at the Yamanaka flower shop staring at some roses.

Naruto smirked, closed in and spoke in a sly voice, " Hey gorgeous."

Hinata recognized Naruto's voice, she turned around with a devilish grin on her face and replied in a smug voice, " You sneaky little scoundrel."

Naruto grinned at her and replied softly, " Scoundrel ? Scoundrel ? I like the sound of that. Yeah, maybe I am a scoundrel, but you love it."

Hinata smirked at him and answered in a sultry voice, " Come here you. "

And so Naruto pulled her into a kiss, a few walked by and noticed giving a lok as if they had gone insane.

Hinata saw it, became concerned and asked between kisses, " Naruto, people are watching, what if they spread bad rumors and star calling me an ugly demon lover? "

Naruto just said, " If anyone tries to call you that Hinata, I'll pull their arms out of their sockets if they do. Believe it."

Hinata smiled with reassurance and deepened the kiss.

A few moments later, Naruto asked, " Hinata, I wanted to ask if you'd like to go out to dinner tonight with me after I take you to a movie."

Hinata gasped a little before answering, " Oh Naruto, I'd love to."

Naruto smiled and said, " I'll pick you up at 5:30 Hinata. Make sure you're ready by then."

Hinata nodded with a smile and left to ask Sakura for help in getting prepared.

Naruto went home to tell his mother about his plans with Hinata, once inside, he removed his equipment and weapons and started thinking about what movie they were going to see.

Kushina came in and said, " Tsunade told me you want to undertake the quest she described, correct? "

Naruto nodded.

His mother smiled and added, " I wish you good luck Naruto. When you get back, we will be moving into the Namikaze estate. So I hope you'll be ready my son, because it's time you took up your heritage."

Naruto answered, " I'm ready to follow in his footsteps and restore honor to my father's name mom. Believe it. "

Kushina smiled at the resolve in her son's eyes.

Naruto immediately spoke, " Mom, I'm taking Hinata out on a date tonight, do you have any suggestions on what I should wear? "

Kushina just smiled and answered, " Wait here. " then she went into the bedroom.

When she came back, she handed Naruto a short-sleeved cloak, it was all red with a black flame pattern around the hem at the bottom.

Kushina replied, " Back when me and your father were dating, this is what he wore on our nights out. Try it on Naruto."

Naruto pulled on the cloak and examined himself in the mirror, after a few moments, he turned back to his mother and said, " This is awesome mom! "

Kushina smiled and spoke, " That's great my son. Now go, you don't want to keep Hinata waiting. "

Naruto asked his mom if she could go and make a reservation at a certain resturant which she happily agreed.

Naruto smiled and left while his mom thought, _" Naruto, you really are growing up. Your father would be proud." _then she left to make the reservation.

Before he went to pick up Hinata, Naruto went to the resturant to make a small arrangement with the manager regarding Hinata.

After making the arrangement, Naruto arrived on time to pick up Hinata, when he saw her, his eyes widened!

If he thought she was beautiful earlier, he was literally blown away at how gorgeous she looked now, she was wearing a blue lavender kimono for women with a intricate design of water and flowers all over it, the only make-up she was wearing was lip gloss and nail polish, and to top it off, she had on a pair of black sandals, and had her hair loose and blowing in the wind.

When Hinata saw Naruto in his red and black cloak, her eyes lit up with love and emotion.

When they arrived at the movie theatre, Naruto decided that both of them should agree on a movie just to be fair to which Hinata heartily agreed, they had a choice between 4 movies.

The 1st was about a group of kids stranded at a remote farm who end up being chased by a crazy psycho with a chainsaw, not being a horror fan, Hinata shook her head.

The 2nd was about a boy who was raised by wolves and grows up to become king of the jungle, Naruto was really interested in that one.

The 3rd was about a boy who prays for angels to help a baseball team win the pennant so he can have a family, Hinata was intrigued about this one.

The 4th was the story of a boy, a girl and a galaxy, this one grabbed both their attention.

Naruto asked, " Well Hinata, I'm interested in the sci-fi film. How about you? "

Hinata answered, " I have a feeling about that movie to Naruto. Let's go see it. "

Naruto nodded as they entered, bought their tickets, payed for refreshments and entered to see the movie.

_2 hours later…_

As the couple left the theater, Hinata was amazed while Naruto face just screamed awesome.

Hinata replied, " That movie was very thrilling! My favorite part was where the princess said, " I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board. " That was funny Naruto. "

Naruto said, " My favorite part was where the guy said, " If you strike me down, I'll shall become more powerful then you can possibly imagine. " That was awesome Hinata. Well my sweetheart, are you ready for dinner? "

Hinata smirked and answered, " Certainly Naruto."

Naruto took her hand like a gentleman, and started to lead her to the resturant.

As it turned out, he wasn't taking her to a cheap café, instead he brought her to an expensive 5-star resturant in the dining district of Konoha.

When Hinata saw the resturant, she gasped and asked, " Naruto, this is the most expensive diner in the village. How can we afford this? "

Naruto just smirked and said, " Let's just say that being the Hokage's grandson has a few benefits."

Hinata understood and smiled as they entered the resturant.

Naruto walked up to the receptionist and asked, " Reservation for Uzumaki? "

The receptionist looked over the list a bit before saying, " Right this way sir. "

After they were seated, the receptionist called over a waiter to take their orders.

Naruto ordered a plate of smoked chicken dipped in barbacue sauce with a side order of chicken fried rice and some lemonade.

Hinata ordered a plate of smoked porkchops dipped in chili sauce with a side order of regular rice and some jasmine tea.

20 minutes later, their food was ready and laid out.

As they ate, Naruto asked, " Hinata, do you think I'm going a little to far tonight? "

Hinata smiled with delight and answered, " Absolutely not Naruto. I was hoping for this the entire time. "

Naruto smirked and replied, " That reminds me Hinata, I spoke with the manager earlier before I picked you up. I asked him if he would mind playing a certain song tonight that I heard earlier today here for my date, and he happily agreed."

Hinata asked, " What kind of song Naruto? "

His reply was, " One of the best love songs I've ever heard Hinata. A song which made me realize that every heartbreak and crushing blow I received, all of that was just another path leading me to you."

Hinata was intrigued and couldn't wait to hear it.

By the time they were halfway done, the song began to play, Naruto led her to the dance floor and they started waltzing as the lyrics started.

_( Song: God blessed the broken road. By Rascal Flatts )_

_I set out on a narrow way many years ago_

_Hoping I would find true love along the broken road_

_But I got lost a time or two, wiped my brow and kept pushing through_

_I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you_

_That every long lost dream led to where you are_

_Others who broke my heart, they were northern stars_

_Pointing me on my way into your loving arms, this much I know is true_

_That God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you_

_I think about the years I spent just passing through_

_I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you_

_But you just smile and take my hand, you've been there you understand_

_It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true_

_That every long lost dream led to where you are_

_Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars_

_Pointing me on my way into your loving arms, this much I know is true_

_That God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you_

_Now I'm just rollin home into my lovers arms, this much I know is true_

_That God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you_

_That god blessed the broken road that led me straight to you_

_End of song._

When the song was finished, Hinata was at a loss for words as Naruto led her back to the table.

After they finished eating, Naruto paid the bill, then they left.

As Naruto led her home to their apartment, he quietly asked, " Hinata, could you meet me by the gates of Konoha at 5am tomorrow? I have something important to tell you tomorrow."

Hinata nodded as the 2 reached home and went to bed smiling at the great time they had.

Sure enough, at 5am the next morning, Hinata met Naruto by the village gates, she could see he was packed like a traveler leaving for extended periods of time.

When she asked him why he was packed like that, Naruto gave her a quick but informative explanation about his heritage and the quest he was intending to undertake.

Hinata, after getting over her shock, replied, " Then by all means, take me with you Naruto. I'd go anywhere with you! "

Naruto answered sadly, " As much as I want to do that Hinata, I'm afraid this is something I must do on my own. For some reason, I feel compelled to do this myself, and besides, the Land of Lightning is too hostile and dangerous. I don't want to put your life in danger Hinata."

As much as she wanted to pout, Hinata knew that Naruto was right and that he would have to go alone, she owered her head in sadness and began to cry.

Naruto cupped her cheek with his hand, looked into her eyes, smiled and said, " Don't worry, I will return my love."

Hinata smiled with renewed confidence even though she still had signs of tears.

Then, after one final hug, Hinata watched bravely as Naruto turned away and left for the Land of Lightning.

End of Chapter 20.

Note: This is a 3-part series, next chapter will depict the journey and the one after that will give the creature's intriduction then the story will continue like normal.

Originally I called the nine-tails Akira, but I decided to go back and use the name Kurama for the Nine-Tails because it's canon.

To all my viewers who had complaints about my earlier chapters, here's all I have to say.

My calculations were not very accurate that time.

However, I promise you that from now on, it will be very precise, and the story will follow the anime as much as possible.

Please comment or PM to my story and tell me what you think.

Until next time.


	23. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Awakening part 2, Bonding & The Journey.

Note: This chapter will focus on Naruto's journey as well as some bonding between him and Kurama. The next chapter will introduce the creature as well as some of Naruto's new powers.

Let's get started!

After nearly 10 hours of walking, Naruto was already 14 miles from Konoha, he knew it would be dark soon, so he had to find a place to set up camp.

Naruto finally found a place to set in for the night, after putting down his bag and building a fire, Naruto opened his sword and began to sharpen it.

Even though Naruto was exceptionally brave as a ninja, it didn't mean he had no emotions, despite that fact that he had a part of his family back, he still remembered all the loneliness and rejection he suffered as a child, and now that he was alone in a deserted forest in the middle of nowhere, he was really starting to miss his loved ones, and began to feel a sense of loneliness again.

But he knew that this journey had to be done because of the threat his village was facing.

With a feeling of uneasiness, he pulled out his radio and switched it on hoping to hear his mothers voice, and to his relief he did.

The radio Naruto was using was small, but despite that, it was built to military standards meaning it had a very long frequency range of at least 70 miles, and it was powered by solar energy so it never went dead unless it was left on for too long at night.

To keep Naruto's anxiety in check, Kushina began using her own radio to stay in close contact with him.

Her reasons for doing so were as she put it: " I talk a lot to him, when he's out there on a mission by himself and starts to feel a sense of panic, it calms him down to hear my voice. "

Naruto spent the next hour talking to his mother letting her know his progress on the journey.

Then he spoke to Kurama, " Buddy, the creature that Grandma Tsunade was talking about, was it really as powerful as she claims? I mean you've battled it before, so I'm sure you know it's power huh? "

Kurama answered, " Naruto, as much as I want to answer your question, I'm afraid my memories of that day are clouded. But I will say this: if this creature is who I think it is, then you will have a very powerful ally on your side."

Naruto sighed with disappointment because his partner couldn't answer his question, but he knew that you can't always give someone all the answers.

Naruto then shouted, " Rise Kurama! "

Moments later, the Nine-tails emerged and stood 6-feet tall in full form, the fox then asked confused, " Why have you let me out Naruto? "

Naruto smiled, " Because I think it's high time that you and I spent some bonding-time together, because all we ever do is fight and talk. So how about it partner? "

Kurama smiled and replied, " That's true Naruto. You and I have never had some fun-time together. So what do you propose we do? "

Naruto finished sharpening his sword, held it up and said, " Let's go hunting. I remember this area being infested with wild boars, so let's go get some."

Kurama smiled at that and said, " I like the sound of that. Alright, let's go! "

And with that, the duo set out.

After a half-hour search, the group located 2 huge wild male boars, Kurama whispered, " Here's the plan Naruto: You keep their attention, I'll sneak up behind them, okay? "

Naruto replied quietly, " I'll keep their attention. "

As Naruto distracted the boars, Kurama quietly slipped behind them and waited a moment before leaping forward, grabbing one boar with his paws and snapping it's neck.

Then he leaped at the second boar pinning it to the ground and used one of his tails to strangle it till it suffocated.

Afterward, Naruto and Kurama dragged their spoils back to camp and Naruto began the process of cleaning and gutting the boars, after an hour of messy work, he finished and started cooking the boars.

Naruto built a scaffold to hold the boars over the fire and said to Kurama, " It's a good thing that pervy-sage actually took the time to teach me about living off the land, otherwise I'd probably starve to death. Also, I've read that wild boar meat isn't just tasty, but it has a lot of protein and fat in it. So these boars, I will probably cook really slowly, almost like smoking them because this is the kind of meat that you want well-done. So wild boar is really an excellent survival food when necessary."

Kurama replied, " I'm actually surprised that that womanizer actually taught you some things that were important because his perverted habits made me think he was more concerned with women rather than you Naruto. "

Naruto answered, " If that were the case, I would have set you loose on him and make him think twice before going after girls instead of training me."

Kurama laughed at that and said, " Oh, the terrible things I would do to frighten him. " which caused Naruto to snicker.

For the next 3 hours as dinner cooked, Naruto and Kurama spent their time horsing, joking and wrestling around with each other laughing and giggling the entire time.

At one point, Kurama asked, " Naruto, you do realize that a lot of enemies will be after us soon, mostly because of me who a lot of people call a monster. Having said that, I must know, do you still think I'm a demon because of what I caused you? "

Naruto turned very serious, " Kurama, what they want is your power, not you. A lot of people despise you because of your appearance. I refuse to let them take your power for personal gain. So they'll hunt us, because we can take it. Furthermore, you're not a demon or a monster, you are what I say you are. You're my valiant guardian, my faithful protector, my best friend. We started this together, and we'll finish it together. Are you with me buddy? "

Kurama smiled proudly and declared, " In the name of all that is just, I will stand with you to the very end Naruto. "

Naruto smiled at his partners declaration and nodded.

Finally the Nine-Tails spoke, " Dinner is ready Naruto, I can smell it. "

Naruto sniffed the carcasses and confirmed they were ready, he lifted them off the scaffold, pulled them off the stick that was holding them and untied them, he handed 1 carcass to Kurama, kept the other for himself.

Naruto took the first bite and after swallowing it he replied with delight, " Mmm! This boar is delicious! " and started devouring it like crazy while Kurama did the same.

When they were done and had their stomachs full, it was time to go to sleep, after such a good meal, Naruto was feeling sleepy.

Kurama was about to go back inside his vessel, but Naruto would not allow it, he walked up to Kurama who was lying down like a regular fox with his head up, then Naruto dropped to the ground and laid himself against the Kyuubi's side.

With the thick, soft, silky fur of the fox cushioning his back, Naruto felt so relaxed that he fell asleep within 3 minutes, Kurama was about to speak to him about something important before going to sleep, but when he looked down and saw Naruto sleeping by his side snoring softly, he could only smile.

Kurama happily thought to himself, _" He reminds me of my family and how my kits used to sleep by my side all the time as if I was a source of protection for them. Despite all the wrongs I did, this kid forgave, accepted, and welcomed me with open arms. I used to think that all humans despised demons like myself, but this kid, Naruto Uzumaki, proved me wrong and gave me a chance for redemption. That is why I have sworn to protect him." _then he brought 3 of his tails forward and gently wrapped them around Naruto affectionately and protectively as if he was guarding his own child and then fell asleep himself.

Next morning when Naruto woke up, he noticed that he was wrapped in Kurama's tails and thought, _" I can't believe I'm thinking this, but I feel that Kurama's kind of like a father to me. But I'm not complaining about it."_

He woke up Kurama next and packed up the campsite, but just as Naruto was about to continue walking, Kurama smirked with an idea.

He looked at Naruto and said, " Naruto, instead of walking, why not hitch a ride on me? That way we can get there faster and save some time."

Naruto pondered for a moment before saying, " Are you sure Kurama? Aren't I a little heavy for you? "

Kurama smirked, " Not at all Naruto. Hop on my back."

Naruto smiled and jumped on Kurama's back saying, " I hope you're fast partner, because I really want to get this over with."

Kurama said, " I'd hold on tight if I were you Naruto. "

Naruto grabbed and held on to the fur as tight as he could as Kurama began bounding off.

At this point, Naruto could feel his adrenaline rushing at how fast Kurama was running, the young Uzumaki wasn't sure what to think at this point other than, _" Whoa! He is fast! "_

After 2 hours of leaping and running thanks to Kurama's incredible speed and endurance, they stopped by a gentle flowing river, Naruto could see The Land of Lightning ahead in the distance, the first thing he said was, " I was right to accept a ride from you! That was awesome! You were fast! "

Kurama, who was a little tired, spoke, " I told you it would be faster Naruto. Do you want to keep going or rest here for a while ? "

Naruto sighed, " I think we'll camp here tonight. And besides, you need some rest Kurama."

The Nine-Tails agreed then disappeared into Naruto as he sat down to begin sharpening and polishing his equipment.

That night, as Naruto finished setting up his tent, he started a fire, pulled out some left-over boar meat and started cooking it.

As dinner began heating, Naruto turned on his radio and contacted Kushina letting her know his progress.

When he told her how close he was, Kushina gasped, " Naruto, The Land of The Lightning is 70 miles from Konoha! How did you get there so fast?! "

Over the radio, Naruto laughed, " I have Kurama to thank for that mom. He was kind enough to give a ride. Man, I wish you could've been there with me mom. It was awesome! "

Kushina happily replied, " Whenever I think I've got you figured out, you continue to surprise me my son. At this rate, you might return sooner than I think. Well, good night my son."

Naruto said the same then turned off the radio.

By then dinner was ready, after Naruto was done, he put out the fire, crawled into his tent and fell asleep knowing that tomorrow he would find the creature his father summoned.

End of Chapter 21.

Note: sorry if this chapter seemed short but I wanted to get this over with because I've really some really difficult stuff coming up in this story. Also, some of you might hate me for this, but after extensive research and watching a few battle scenes, I didn't really like that Sai kid very much so he won't be on team seven.

Note: I apologize to my readers for the late update, but I spent the last 2 weeks dealing with college exams and household renevating. But as I said before, I'm going to finish this story.

PS: I've decided to replace Sai with Hinata which I should have done since the beginning.

Until next time!

Hope you enjoyed.


	24. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: The Awakening Part 3, Guardian of The Namikaze.

Note: Here it comes, the moment of truth.

The time has come!

It was 6am when Naruto awoke, he remembered the night before when he knew how close to The Land of Lightning he was.

He quickly cleaned and packed up his campsite, at the same he remembered how hostile the territory was toward the leaf, so to remain undercover, he removed his headband and stuffed it in his backpack, he took his own kunai as well as his father's thunder kunai and his shiruken pouch and put them on at the back of his waist to keep them out of site.

He took out the cloak that his mother gave him, slipped it on and saw it was long and wide enough to conceal his weapons, the last thing he did was take his ANBU sword and slid it up under his right sleeve to keep it within easy reach.

Finally he put on his backpack and started off, five minutes later he checked the map and noticed he had to find a certain mountain that was described as Mount Fukuzawa, because according to the map, that was where the creature was said to be imprisoned.

As Naruto continued walking, he turned on the radio and informed Kushina about his position and precautions, Kushina urged him to be careful, said she loved him and turned off the radio.

As Naruto trekked forward, he began to feel uneasy, Kurama, who sensed the boy's suspicions, quickly granted Naruto enhanced senses allowing the boy to adapt and sense his surroundings.

10 minutes later, he reached a village, ( Not the main village) went up to a hotel and asked the innkeeper for directions to Mount Fukuzawa, the innkeeper was middle-aged, 5ft-8, had brown eyes, pale skin, short brown hair, and was wearing a brown kimono.

He replied, " Mount Fukuzawa?! Are you crazy?! That mountain is cursed! Anyone who went near that place never returned! Everyone is afraid of it! "

Naruto, being cautious, calmly asked, " That's why I want to see it. I've always been interested in it since I was a boy. Can you tell me why people are scared of it? "

The innkeeper answered, " Because for the last 15 and a half years, that mountain has thundered with destructive lightning so powerful that anyone who came close to it was destroyed."

Naruto asked, " That sounds kinda cool. Can you tell me how to reach the mountain? "

The innkeeper replied, " A mountain range 2 hours north of here. You can't miss it. "

Naruto nodded and left while the innkeeper thought, _" Good luck kid. I have a feeling you're The Chosen One._

Naruto left the village and headed north as the innkeeper said.

As Naruto trekked further and further up the trail, he began to hear the sound of thunder in the distance, but because of the tall trees, he couldn't see it.

_2 hours later…_

Very slowly, Naruto pushed through the foliage and he stared up in awe…

Directly ahead of him stood Mount Fukuzawa, in the skies over the mountain was a huge dark cloud bursting thunder and lightning in all directions.

Naruto looked at the map and said, " Well, according to the map, this is where the creature is located, but I can't see anything. It's probably inside the mountain, my only option is to see if there's a cave around here." with that, Naruto folded the map, put it in his pocket, and began moving around the mountain.

After 2 hours of wandering around the base of the mountain, Naruto still was unsuccessful in finding a cave or tunnel of any kind, he stopped by a small thin waterfall, looked up at the sky and noticed it was starting to rain, luckily there was a large rocky overhang near him to stop the rain from soaking him.

As Naruto huddled under the overhang, he thought to himself, _" I can't seem to find anything. But I have to keep trying." _as he sat there pondering what to do next, he saw something strange that made him stand up, behind the waterfall was a faint orange glow, Naruto carefully inched his way behind the waterfall to find the source of the light.

When he got behind the waterfall, he found himself in what looked like a small cave, then he noticed the glow was coming from a passageway leading deeper into the mountain, seeing that caused Naruto to think, _" This has to be the way! I haven't seen any other caves around here, so this must be the way. I better be careful."_

With that, Naruto set down his backpack, removed his cloak, activated his new Sage Mode, released his sword and ventured into the passage.

As Naruto came around a bend in the cave, he saw that the glow from earlier was coming from a set of torches attached to the sides of the cave, thankful that there was some light in the cave, Naruto sighed with relief and moved forward, then he detected a suspicious entity ahead, he gripped his sword tighter and moved on.

When he finally found the source of the entity, he was horrified to see what looked like a walking skeleton with a sword coming towards him!

But Naruto stayed calm, flashed past the skeleton, and with one slash of his sword, shattered it, Naruto's first thought was, _" Jeez! If there's one of those here, then I'm sure there's gotta be more! I also should look out for booby traps." _then he continued on.

_20 minutes later…_

After nearly 30 minutes of exploring, fighting, and searching, Naruto was tired, scared, and frustrated, he had already destroyed at least 20 walking skeletons, narrowly escaped several elaborate booby traps like a spiked panel flying down from the ceiling, and came across dozens of decomposing bodies of people who tried to explore the cave and didn't get far.

Sitting in what looked like an old chemistry lab, Naruto said out loud, " One thing's for sure. Whatever is in here, they surely didn't want it discovered." suddenly Naruto looked ahead and saw in a narrow passage what looked like a bright blue light continually flashing.

Using Sage Mode, Naruto scanned the area and what he detected was so overwhelmingly powerful that he screamed in pain and fell to the ground as his senses went haywire.

A few moments later after calming down, Naruto stood up and headed towards the light, after rounding a bend in the corridor, he stepped into a large cavern and saw an unimaginable site!

Directly in front of him was a large column of blue swirling chakra that rose all the way up to the top of the cavern which made Naruto realize he was in the core of the mountain, at the base of the column was a stone slab like the ones he read that were commonly used in blood sealing rituals, but right now it was hard to be sure.

As he moved forward, he couldn't help but notice the powerful aura the column was giving off, when he got within 5 feet of the column, a sudden burst of energy threw him backwards!

When Naruto sat up, a deep but loud voice said, **" WHO DARES DISTURBS MY RESTING PLACE ?! STATE YOUR NAME! "**

Naruto stood up and shouted, " My name is Naruto! Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze! Son of Minato Namikaze! "

The voice shouted, **" YOU, THE SON OF MINATO NAMIKAZE?! DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH! MINATO HAD ONLY ONE CHILD WHO WAS LOST WHEN THE KYUUBI WAS SEALED INTO HIM ! BECOMING A JINCHURRIKI FOR THE NINE-TAILS KILLED THE CHILD! THE NAMIKAZE HAVE GONE EXTINCT! "**

Naruto shouted, " The kyuubi was sealed into the child, but that child survived! I am that child! I'm the Jinchurriki of the Kyuubi No Yoko! "

The voice roared, **" LIAR! I'LL PUT A STOP TO YOUR NONSENSE RIGHT NOW! " **then Naruto found himself being blasted left and right with lightning suffering one painful hit after another.

As Naruto screamed, time itself seemed to slow down, then suddenly, everything stopped…

After what seemed like forever, a huge white light enveloped the entire cavern, when it faded, there was Naruto on his hands and knees gasping for breath after those attacks.

At the same time, the voice replied, **" H-HOW CAN THIS BE?! I CAN SENSE IT, THE NINE-TAILS DWELLS WITHIN YOU! SO IT'S TRUE! YOU ARE THE SON OF THE NAMIKAZE! "**

Naruto looked up with disgust on his face and snorted, " Caught on have you? Took you long enough! "

The voice answered, **" I APOLOGIZE. I THOUGHT FOR SURE THE NAMIKAZE HAD BEEN WIPED OUT BECAUSE OF THE ATTACK ON KONOHA. "**

Naruto replied, " It's been 15 years since that attack. "

The voice answered, **" 15 YEARS?! WHAT A SHOCK! I'VE BEEN DORMANT FOR THAT LONG?! "**

Naruto replied, " Before we ask anymore questions, I need to know how to set you free. "

The voice said, **" THAT STONE ON THE GROUND, THE SYMBOL ON IT REPRESENTS THE NAMIKAZE. THE SYMBOL IS ALSO A SEAL THAT HOLDS ME AT BAY WITHIN THIS CHAKRA COLUMN. THE SEAL REQUIRES NAMIKAZE BLOOD IN ODER TO BREAK IT, TRACE THE SYMBOL WITH YOUR OWN BLOOD WHICH WILL DEACTIVATE THE SEAL, THUS RELEASING ME. "**

Naruto walked up to the stone slab, pulled out his kunai, cut his finger and slowly traced the symbol in his own blood, when he finished, the symbol started glowing bright red causing Naruto to yell, " What's going on?! "

The voice shouted, **" YOU'VE DONE IT! THE SEAL IS BROKEN! NOW I CAN MEET FACE TO FACE WITH MY NEW MASTER. " **seconds later the column of chakra started glowing brighter and brighter until it exploded in a huge blue light, the skies over the mountain were lit up as bright as day with the light, when it faded, Naruto uncovered his eyes and saw a phenomenal sight!

Looming over was a huge massive dragon with a dark serpent-like body and bright blue eyes with amber pupils!

_( To see what the dragon looks like, visit my profile.)_

The dragon lowered it's head, looked right at Naruto and announced, " Greetings Naruto. It is an honor to serve the Namikaze once again."

Naruto looked dumbfounded as he asked, " Wait, you're a girl? "

The dragon scoffed, " Of course I'm a girl."

Naruto put it together and said, " I get it, all that noise and power distorted your voice so much, it made you sound like a man."

The dragon replied with a smile, " Very perceptive Naruto."

Naruto asked, " There is one thing I must know, when my father signed a contract with you, what were the terms that made you follow him? "

The dragon answered, " For as long as I can remember, everyone who signed a contract with me used my power as a means to drive fear into others. As a creature of justice, I couldn't stand the thought of destroying innocent lives, so I spent centuries in solitude fearing who else would seek to abuse my power, that is until I met your father. Having been deceived so many times before, I could tell what your fathers intentions were when he asked to sign a contract with me, I told him I would agree to it if he would see me as a friend and not a weapon. He said he would honor my terms if I agreed to protect him and his descendants till the end of time, I agreed. After that we sealed the contract and as it turned out, he was a man of his word, and that's why I followed and obeyed him. Now Naruto, before we seal the contract, I must know, If I follow and obey you, what intention would you use my power for? "

Naruto spoke in a very serious voice, " People seek power for different reasons, I seek power to protect the ones I care for, not to destroy. I would never abuse your power for personal gain, and I never go back on my word, for that is my ninja way. "

The dragon replied proudly, " The look of resolve in your eyes means that you speak the truth Naruto. I am honored to serve as Guardian of the Namikaze once again. "

Naruto asked, " Um… before we finalize the deal, what should I call you? "

The dragon smiled, " For centuries I have been called many things, like Stormbringer, Earthshaker, or The Great Destroyer, but you may use the name given to me by the Namikaze long ago. Your father called me… Daijynryuu. "

Naruto replied, " Very well, Daijynryuu it is. "

Then he looked at his hand and noticed a symbol on it, which he asked, " What is this insignia? "

Daijynryuu answered, " By saying your intentions, you have sealed our deal. The symbol on your hand is the kanji for dragon, which allows you to summon me, all you have to do is raise your hand, power up the symbol with your chakra, call my name and I will be there. Farewell for now Naruto. " after that she faded away.

As Naruto exited the cave, he saw that the lightning storms over the mountain from earlier had vanished, he noticed it was night and it would be a long way back to Konoha.

Then a sudden thought occurred to him, he raised his hand, powered up the seal, and yelled, " Daijynryuu, come forth! "

Daijynryuu appeared and asked, " How can I help you Naruto? "

Naruto asked sheepishly, " Um… ca… can you fly Daijynryuu? "

Daijynryuu replied, " Why…yes. I can fly. "

Naruto asked, " Well then, would you mind flying me home? "

She answered, " Get on my back Naruto. "

Naruto got on and held on to a small patch of fur near Daijynryuu's neck as she rose off the ground and took to the skies on their way back home.

End of Chapter 22.

Note: for anyone who is confused, the name Daijynryuu is pronounced like this: ( dye-jin-ru) it means Great God Dragon in Japanese.

Hope this clarifies it.

PS: For those of you who don't know, Daijynryuu was a name used in the original Japanese version of Mighty Morphin power rangers.

I don't own power rangers.

Hope you all enjoyed.

Until next time!


	25. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: The Awakening Part 4, Meet the Family.

Note: This chapter will show Daijynryuu being introduced to Naruto's family, as well as another Naruhina moment.

Behold!

Flying high above the clouds on Daijynryuu's back, Naruto was having the time of his life at this point.

He marveled at the view before him which made him think, _" I wish Hinata could see this. She'd love it! I know, I'll take her flying after my family meets Daijynryuu! "_

He also made sure his dragon guardian knew what Konoha looked like and where it was so they wouldn't end up lost.

Daijynryuu asked, " What do you think about flying like this Naruto? "

Naruto replied, " This is incredible Daijynryuu! You know… I was going to ask you a favor if you don't mind. "

Daijynryuu said, " Go ahead Naruto. "

Naruto asked, " Um… back in Konoha, I have a girlfriend who would be overjoyed to fly with me, so would you be so kind as to help me give her a fun time Daijynryuu? "

Daijynryuu smiled, " I'd be delighted Naruto. I've never had a chance to do something like that before, so I will gladly help you with the one you love Naruto."

Naruto answered, " Thank you Daijynryuu! You won't regret it! Wake me when we get there. " then he laid himself back and drifted off to sleep as Daijynryuu flew onwards.

_1 hour later…_

" NARUTO! NARUTO! " shouted Daijynryuu.

Naruto woke up with a start screaming, " Wh-wh-what?! What is it?! "

Daijynryuu answered, " Wake up. We're home. "

Naruto looked down and saw Konoha below bathed in the bright moonlight as the 2 slowly landed in the woods on the outskirts to avoid unwanted attention.

Before Daijynryuu faded, Naruto asked, " Would it be okay if I introduce you to my family tomorrow night? Because I have a few thing to explain to them before I reveal you."

Daijynryuu stated, " I don't mind the little wait Naruto, although I can't wait to meet your family. "

Naruto smiled, " Thanks Daijynryuu. You can go now. "

And with that, she faded away.

Afterwards, Naruto went to sleep thinking, _" It's great to be back home."_

Next morning when Naruto woke up, he made his way to the village gates of Konoha, the guards recognized him and let him pass.

Naruto made his way to the Hokage tower to talk with Tsunade, as he entered her office, he said out loud, " Grandma Tsunade! I'm home! "

Tsunade looked up from her desk, saw Naruto and cried, " My grandson! You're back! " as she leapt from the desk and wrapped him in her arms.

After a few moments of hugging, Tsunade asked about the trip, what he discovered, and weather or not he was successful.

Naruto answered in a very serious voice, " Grandma Tsunade, I want you, mom, and Jiraiya to meet me on the outskirts of the village at dusk, and I'll explain everything then. "

Tsunade, realizing the seriousness in her grandson's voice, nodded saying, " Right."

Then she turned around, pulled out a bag, and announced, " Naruto, normally you would have to get this like everyone else, but you have proven yourself worthy more than once. Plus, your mother and myself talked about and agreed that you deserve it after everything you've done. Therefore, as Hokage, I present you with this. "

She opened the bag, pulled out a vest and held it out to Naruto who asked, " What's that Grandma Tsunade? "

Tsunade replied, " It's a Chunin vest Naruto. "

Naruto was surprised and asked, " You mean I'm a chunin-level shinobi now?!

Tsunade smiled, " Indeed you are Naruto. You've earned it."

Naruto smiled with tears and tackled Tsunade shouting his thanks.

Then he put on the vest and looked at himself in the mirror, after a moment he said, " This vest looks awesome! Especially with my black track suit! Thanks Grandma Tsunade! "

Tsunade smirked and hugged him again.

Afterward, Naruto left the office and began to make his way to Ichiraku's, as he made his way through the streets, he spotted Hinata standing under a plum blossom tree as the petals floated to the ground.

Naruto grinned with mischief and snuck up behind her, when he was close enough, he replied, " Hey beautiful, it's me. "

Hinata jumped a bit, turned around, and came face to face with Naruto causing her to blush as she cried, " Naruto! " as she jumped into his arms.

Naruto smiled as he pulled her into a kiss, a few moments later, Naruto asked, " I was on my way to Ichiraku's when I saw you Hinata, would you like to accompany me? "

Hinata grinned, " Of course Naruto. Let's go. "

Naruto smirked, took her hand, and continued on.

As they walked, Hinata noticed the vest Naruto was wearing and asked, " Naruto, what's with that vest ? "

Naruto said with pride, " Because of everything I've done so far, Grandma Tsunade decided I was worthy of receiving a promotion. So as of now, I am officially a Chunin-level Shinobi. She gave me this vest as proof of that. "

Hinata squealed with delight and chirped, " You got promoted Naruto?! That's wonderful! You look so much more handsome now! I think you deserve a little something from me too. " Naruto knew what she meant as the 2 kissed again before they continued walking.

When they got to Ichiraku's, Ayame and Teuchi were ecstatic to see him, Teuchi called out, " Naruto! Long time no see! Ha Ha! What can we get you? "

Naruto replied, " Chicken ramen with extra meat in it. 3 bowls. How about you Hinata? "

Hinata looked over the menu a little before ordering 2 bowls of Miso ramen with extra beef in them.

Teuchi nodded and went to work.

Ayame, confused as to why Hinata was there, asked, " Naruto, I don't recall you ever bringing Hinata here before. I know she's your friend, but you've never brought her here before. What's the occasion? "

Naruto smiled with pride and said, " Kind of a celebration regarding 2 exciting developments Ayame. "

Ayame was excited and asked, " Tell us what happened Naruto. "

Naruto answered, " Well for one thing, just today I got promoted to that rank of Chunin. "

Teuchi shouted, " Well done Naruto! "

Naruto continued, " And last but not least, Hinata is officially my girlfriend."

The 2 ramen chefs mouths dropped after hearing that, moments later Teuchi replied, " You're really growing up Naruto. " then he looked at Hinata and spoke, " I believe you've got yourself a great man Hinata. Naruto is the greatest and kindest boy anyone could ask for, so you take care of him and love him for the brave-hearted man he is."

Hinata simply nodded with resolve.

By then their orders were ready, as they ate, Kakashi came to see them.

Naruto told him about his recent promotion, neglecting to mention his recent quest, and his training with Jiraiya.

Kakashi replied, " That's great Naruto. Now, I must inform you about a recent change. Lady Tsunade, Kurenai and myself all discussed it and decided it was the best thing to do. Starting tomorrow, Hinata Hyuga will be an official member of Team 7. "

Naruto and Hinata both looked at each other with excitement in their eyes before they hugged again.

Kakashi smiled to himself and left.

Naruto then asked, " Hinata, could you meet me on the outskirts of the village at dusk tonight? Because I have something very important to tell you."

She nodded.

That night at dusk, on the ouskirts of the village, everyone, even Hinata, was gathered just as Naruto instructed, so he went on to tell them everything about Daijynryuu and the reason she followed his father, but he didn't tell them what kind of creature she was or her ability to fly because he wanted to surprise them.

Everybody was pretty much intrigued at what he said.

Kushina was the first to speak, " Naruto, I should very much like to meet this Daijynryuu. Could you summon her please? "

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Naruto replied, " Very well."

And so he turned around, raised his hand, powered up the summoning sign and shouted, " Daijynryuu, arise! "

Seconds later, Daijynryuu appeared and everyone could only marvel in stunned silence at the huge dragon before them!

Naruto replied, " Everyone, this is Daijynryuu. Daijynryuu, I would like you to meet my family, everyone introduce yourselves. "

With Jiraiya: " I'm Jiraiya, Naruto's godfather. "

With Tsunade: " I'm Tsunade Senju, Naruto's grandmother and 5th Hokage of Konoha. "

With Kushina: " I'm Kushina Uzumaki, Naruto's mother. "

With Hinata: " And I'm Hinata Hyuga, Naruto's girlfriend. "

Daijynryuu bowed, " Greetings everyone, it's an honor to meet Naruto's family and loved ones. I'm Daijynryuu, guardian of the Namikaze. "

Naruto then replied, " It's amazing isn't it? My father was a dragon summoner, head of the Naikaze, and the 4th Hokage! "

Everyone laughed at Naruto's excitement.

Then he said, " I've got some training to do in a few minutes, so could you all please leave for a few minutes? "

Everyone nodded and left, but as Hinata walked away, Naruto pulled her behind a tree and quickly shushed her.

He waited till the others were out of sight and said, " Hinata, I've got a surprise for you. This is one surprise you'll never forget. "

Hinata smiled with delight and asked, " What is it Naruto ? "

Naruto grinned, picked her up bridal style and said, " Close your eyes Hinata and don't open them till I tell you, no matter what happens, understand? "

Hinata nodded and closed her eyes.

Naruto whisked her away, jumped on Daijynryuu's head, set Hinata down, gave Daijynryuu the signal to take off, and held Hinata until they were high enough.

Thankfully the night sky was cloudy and dark, so Daijynryuu's figure couldn't be seen, as the couple sat there, Naruto asked, " Do you trust me Hinata? "

Hinata answered, " I trust you. "

Naruto replied, " Alright, open your eyes. "

Hinata slowly opened her eyes and gasped in amazement!

Her first reaction was, " Naruto! We're flying! This is incredible! "

Naruto said, " I know that Hinata. I planned this for you, the prettiest, sexiest, and deadliest kunoichi in the village. "

Hinata blushed, " Naruto, why do you say those lovely things to me? "

Naruto answered, " Because I love to see you smile, my princess. " and with that, he leaned in and kissed her as the flight continued.

_2 hours later…_

The trio landed then Naruto dismissed Daijynryuu saying they would begin training in a few days.

Daijynryuu bowed with a smile and disappeared.

As Naruto and Hinata headed home, he asked, " Did you have a great time Hinata? "

She answered, " That was the greatest time I ever had Naruto. I will never forget it. "

Naruto replied, " You go ahead Hinata, I need to speak with your father for a few minutes. Don't worry, everything will be alright."

Hinata nodded and headed off.

Naruto arrived at the Hyuga compound and told the guards why he was there, one of them nodded and led him to Hiashi's office where Naruto knocked on the door.

Hiashi answered, " Come in. "

The door opened as Naruto walked in and bowed before saying, " Greetings Hiashi. I apologize for any intrusions, please forgive me. "

Hiashi smiled at Naruto's respectful approach and replied, " No apologies required Naruto. Please take a seat, let's hear your reason for being here. "

Naruto sat down and said, " Hiashi, as you know, me and your daughter Hinata were best friends when we were kids. But lately it's gotten beyond that, the truth is I deeply love Hinata more than anything. She means more to me that my own life. As future heir of the Namikaze clan, I humbly ask for your permission to date her and possibly get married someday. "

Hiashi stared at Naruto with admiring eyes and answered, " Granted. "

Naruto asked, " Really?! You aprove?! "

Hiashi said, " I approve Naruto, you've proven your self to be the kind of person my daughter needs. Not just clan-wise, but strength-wise too, you never give up and refuse to stop no matter what, which gives me every confidence that with you, my daughter is in good hands. You have my blessing Naruto. If you and Hinata get married someday, I pray you live long and well. "

Naruto thanked him and left.

When he reached the Namikaze estate, Naruto found his mother waiting for him who said, " Welcome home my son. " as they entered the mansion.

As he went to sleep that night, Naruto thought, _" For the first time in my life_, _things are starting to go right. "_

End of Chapter 23.

Hope you all enjoyed because I have something really funny prepared for the next chapter as well as some council bashing very soon.

Note: I've done some council bashing previously, but come on people, I love picking on those idiots and I'll take any excuse to do it.

PS: I don't like the fact that Naruto remained a genin for so long in the series, so I thought he deserved a little promotion. Now I realize the exams are required to reach chunin, but with his grandmother being Hokage, Who's to say she can't promote her own grandson? Heh heh !

Until next time!


	26. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Jiraya's big mistake!

Note: the idea here is I'm having Daijynryuu assume a human form because Konoha isn't ready for gigantic dragons yet. Her true form will be revealed in time to everyone, but for now she will be training with Naruto in a human form to be secretive.

Let's begin!

At 4am in the morning, Naruto awoke remembering he had training with Daijynryuu today.

He quickly showered, got dressed, got his equipment, ate a quick breakfast, left a note, and headed for the training grounds.

His mother found the note and smiled knowing that her son was just training with his new partner.

As Naruto headed for the training grounds, he ran into his old friend Kiba who shouted, " Hey Naruto! It's great to see you again old friend. " as they shook hands.

While they were talking, Jiraiya appeared and decided to join the conversation.

At one point Naruto replied, " I think with the amount of training I do, I'll live to be 200 years old, twice as much as any normal man! "

Kiba, a bit taken aback, asked, " That long? "

Naruto answered, " Believe it Kiba! "

KIba replied with sarcasm, " Naruto, some men are " Longer" than others. "

Jiraiya perked up and said, " Tsunade been telling you stories about me again, eh? " causing both boys to laugh, a few minutes later the 2 friends shook hands and went about their day.

At training ground 6, Naruto released Daijynryuu and asked her, " Um… Daijynryuu, would it be possible for you to take on a human form? Because this village isn't ready for you yet. I need to keep your presence a secret for now, so can you assume a human form? "

Daijynryuu replied, " I guess I could. Actually, indeed I can, hold on a moment. "

Then a huge burst of chakra swirled around her, it was so bright that Naruto covered his eyes to avoid being blinded.

When the light faded, Naruto opened his eyes and was shocked at the sight before him!

In Daijynryuu's place where there was once a huge dragon, there was now a young woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties, despite the clothing she wore, her body had a sexy feminine look to it.

Were it not for the color scheme, she could almost pass for Yugao's twin sister, her hair was long and black resting at her waist, her skin was pale as the moon, her eyes remained the same, blue with amber pupils, inside her mouth, she had a set of fangs that looked very sharp!

Her fingernails were long and sharp like claws of steel, and finally, she wore a white kimono robe on the inside and a blue kimono robe on the outside with a floral pattern of clouds and stars.

All in all, Daijynryuu's human form was absolutely beautiful!

Naruto stood up, walked over to her and said, " Shall we begin? "

Daijynryuu assumed her stance and answered, " Let's do this. " then their training began.

_1 hour later..._

Naruto was panting with exhaustion, despite the skills he had learned from Jiraiya, his speed was almost no match for Daijynryuu's incredible fierceness and power, every sword strike he made was either punched away or deflected by Daijynryuu's vicious claws!

Every kunai or shuriken he threw was shot down or blown away by lightning blasts from her mouth!

Whenever he got up close, every attempt he made to strike Daijynryuu, even his sage attacks were outmatched by her intense agility and quick reflexes!

Naruto now understood why Daijynryuu was powerful enough to take on Kurama, how she earned the name, " Great God Dragon" and was relieved to have her on his side.

As the 2 sat there discussing about their training session, they were completely unaware that they were being watched by a certain someone who had been watching Daijynryuu the whole time... Uh Oh!

Naruto asked, " Daijynryuu, do you have any other powers? "

She answered, " Quite a few Naruto, but those will be revealed later on."

Naruto grinned and replied, " I'm so looking forward to seeing them! We're gonna kick some major butt very soon! "

Daijynryuu smirked, " Right you are Naruto. We soon will. "

After they were finished, Naruto and Daijynryuu went to Tsunade's office to discuss what they had planned.

When they got there, Kushina and Tsunade asked Naruto who the woman was and he explained it was Daijynryuu as a human in disguise to avoid unwanted attention.

Naruto went on to explain about Daijynryuu's power and that her presence should be kept under wraps because if word about her powers got out, surely the Akatsuki would do anything to get their hands on her.

After careful consideration, Kushina and Tsunade both agreed.

Once the discussion was over, Naruto asked Daijynryuu if she was ready for the dangers ahead, before she could answer, she cried, " Eep! " as she felt something unpleasant stroking her behind!

Naruto tilted his head thinking, _" Wha..."_ curious about what was wrong, then he looked and saw something that made him think, _" OH SHIT ! "_

To everyone's shock, there was Jiraiya, running his hand over Daijynryuu's rear with his mouth wide open and drooling from his tougne!

In a desperate attempt to avoid utter destruction, Naruto quickly incapacitated the pervy-sage with a hand strike to the neck, as Jiraiya passed out, Kushina and Tsunade both decided to teach him a lesson that was too long delayed.

Upon hearing this, Naruto suddenly got a sadistic grin on his face as he came up with a very naughty idea!

First he mentioned it to his mother and grandma who both looked at each other with malicious grins then looked at Naruto and nodded, after that he walked up to Daijynryuu and whispered his idea in her hear, when she heard it, she too got the same sadistic grin and said quietly, " I'm going to enjoy this! "

_With Jiraiya..._

There was a dripping, like the sound of a leaky faucet, Jiraiya was dimly aware of it as he came slowly back to consciousness.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and the first thing he noticed was that he was in a room that resembled a prison cell, then he looked up and saw that he was hanging from the ceiling by his hands which were tied by a rope to a pipe overhead.

He also realized that he was only wearing a pair of gray sweatpants, plus that he was all alone and thought, _" What the hell is going on here?! "_

Then he heard the door open and Naruto appeared in front of him, feeling a sense of relief, he said, " Naruto! Great to see you! Help me out here. "

But his hopes were dashed as Naruto answered, " I can't do that. The reason you're all tied up is because my mom and grandma Tsunade put you there. They felt as if you needed to be taught a lesson which I agreed with. "

A split-second later, Kushina walked in with a bucket of water followed by Daijynryuu in human form and Tsunade who said, " I hope this will teach you to behave around women like a gentleman! "

Kushina answered, " So do I. " then she sat the bucket on the floor and left the room with Tsunade, before Naruto left, he said to Daijynryuu, " For the next 20 minutes he's all yours Daijynryuu. Make sure the punishment is severe, but don't kill him. "

She nodded as Naruto left the room closing the door behind him.

Daijynryuu turned to Jiraiya with an evil grin on her face as she picked up the bucket of water and threw it all over Jiraiya soaking him which made him realize what was going to happen!

Daijynryuu brought up her hands with electricity circulating around them as she sneered, " Here's where the fun really begins! My body carries an electric charge of 10 million volts! Let's see how you like this, you pervert! "

She walked up to him, pressed her finger against his chest and released a small " Zap" from her fingers, it wasn't much but it was enough to make Jiraiya cringe with a small yelp, then she released a more slightly powerful jolt making him scream and cringe harder, and they kept getting stronger and stronger to where Naruto and the others started to hear Jiraiya's violent screams outside the room getting louder like this...

Eeehh!

Aah!

Aahh!

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!

The loud screaming meant that she threw her hand forward and sent a stream of powerful volts at Jiraiya who screamed in total agony as the electricity zapped him everywhere!

Outside the room, Naruto and the others could only cringe at hearing Jiraiya's terrible screams as the torture continued, the pervy-sage cried out in pain as another powerful shock hit him again and again and again with Daijynryuu laughing her head off the whole time as the others heard her say things like, " That will teach you you wretched filthy pervert! I don't want to hear excuses, I wanna hear you beg for your damn life! You dared to fondle me like that and now you'll pay for that you piece of shit! " hearing that made them laugh a little at Daijynryuu's antics.

_20 minutes later..._

By the time it was over, the toad sage had lost consciousness and passed out from all that excruciating pain, 2 guards came in, untied him and took him to the hospital leaving the others wondering if maybe they had gone a little bit too far with this.

But Naruto just laughed and said, " For every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction. Now that he knows the result of hitting on Daijynryuu, I doubt he'll try it again. " but at the same time, he knew he was probably wrong about that.

Naruto looked at Tsunade and replied, " Uh... Grandma Tsunade, you'll probably be pissed off after this but Jiraiya told me a story about one time where you told him to shave his lower region because it would look sexy and he said, and I quote, " That was real sexyyyy! I come out of the bathroom with little red bumps and toilet paper squares all over the area down there, Good lord! I was standing there naked, it looked like a grubworm with a turtleneck on! That's what it looked like! "

Kushina was literally on the ground rolling with laughter while Tsunade couldn't help but grab her stomach in a fit of laughing!

Finally she recovered and said, " Naruto, that was a tissue of lies. But I will admit it was pretty gosh darn hilarious!

His grandma then sighed happily while shaking her head, hauled up Kushina who was still giggling and left for the Namikaze estate with a smile on her face while Naruto sealed Daijynryuu and went to meet up with his team for their next training session.

As Naruto approached training ground 7, he saw that Sakura was already there, when she noticed Naruto, she ran over and shook his hand while saying, " Naruto! It's great to see you again! I haven't seen you in a while, where have you been? "

Naruto answered, "I was on a top secret mission for Grandma Tsunade, so I can't go into details because she wants it withheld until further notice. "

The seriousness in his voice convinced Sakura not to discuss the matter further, then she noticed the vest he was wearing and asked, " Naruto, what's with that vest? "

Naruto was dumbfounded as he replied, " They didn't tell you Sakura?! Because of my accomplishments, Grandma Tsunade decided yesterday that I deserved a little reward, so she promoted me to the rank of chunin and gave me this vest as proof. So as of now, I'm a chunin-level shinobi! "

Sakura was surprised to say the least, after getting over her shock, she smiled and spoke, "You mean to tell me that you got promoted Naruto?! That's awesome! You deserve it after what you did for everyone. " then she shook his hand as a sign of congratulations.

Just then, Kakashi appeared getting their attention, the first thing he said was, " Sorry for the delay, I had a few things to take care of. " but Naruto just rolled his eyes knowing it was just another feeble excuse.

Next thing Kakashi said was, " By the way Sakura, i'm sorry for not telling you this, but a new member was recently assigned to our team to fill the vacancy. Lady Tsunade herself approved it. "

Sakura was curious and asked, " Who is this new team member sensei? "

Naruto already knew but didn't want to ruin the surprise.

Kakashi turned his head and gave a signal, when the mystery person appeared, Sakura couldn't believe it...

The person who stood before them was none other than Naruto's girlfriend... Hinata Hyuga! "

All Sakura could think was, _" I have a feeling things are going to get interesting very soon. "_

After Kakashi announced that Hinata was an official member of team 7, the hyuga heiress was given a warm welcome from Sakura as well as Naruto who simply pecked her on the lips.

After training was done, they went to go see Tsunade for their next mission.

End of Chapter 24.

I had this idea in my head ever since I came up with the idea for Daijynryuu.

Note: I know this chapter is kinda short but now the regular story continues and Daijynryuu will play some huge important parts in this story which will be shown later.

Hope you all enjoyed!

Until next time.


	27. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Kazekage Rescue.

Note: To all my readers, I apologize for this late update, but I've been really busy lately and was unable to write anything but things are slowing down, so I should be able to continue soon.

Let's get going!

After reconnecting with his friends and family, Naruto returned to active ninja duty alongside his sensei Kakashi, his old friend Sakura and his girlfriend Hinata.

In Sunagakure, the Akatsuki duo of Deidara and Sasori made their way to the village in search of Gaara, Deidara went off to fight Gaara while Sasori guarded the entrance.

During the battle, Gaara intercepted Deidara and managed to crush one of his arms using the Sand Binding Coffin, but despite his improved abilities, Gaara's newfound desire to protect Sunagakure proved to be his downfall.

When Deidara attempted to blow up the village with his explosive clay, Gaara absorbed the blast by levitating the sand below but a direct attack from Deidara forced Gaara to recall the sand that was crushing Deidara's arm which contained a small portion of explosive clay within which the exploded and left Gaara incapacitated.

As Deidara depated with Gaara, Kankuro attempted to stop the Akatsuki members on his own, but his puppets were easily fought off and destroyed by Sasori who was revealed to be the maker of Kankuro's puppets, he also poisoned Kankuro in the process, leaving him to die.

The Akatsuki duo took Gaara back to their lair where their leader summoned a giant statue to extract and seal Gaara's demon, a sealing ritual that would take at least 3 days.

_Timeskip-2 days..._

After learning that Gaara had been abducted, Team Kakashi made their way to Sunagakure, along the way they met up with and were joined by Temari who was on her way back after being Suna's representative during the chunin exams back in Konoha.

On their way, Naruto informed both Sakura and Temari that the Akatsuki were after him and Gaara because both of them were Jinchuriki and that Naruto was the host of the Nine-tails.

After learning this, Sakura and Hinata vowed to do everything in their power to prevent Naruto from becoming a victim of the Akatsuki, on top of that Temari was thankful that there was someone who could understand Gaara and was grateful to Naruto for changing Gaara and attempting to rescue him.

Arriving at Sunagakure, Team Kakashi learned of the attack on Kankuro, despite the failed attempts of the medics on-hand, Sakura cured Kankuro thus demonstrating her skill with medical techniques, she also developed several portable antidotes rather quickly.

Using a piece of clothing from Sasori found on one of Kankuro's destroyed puppets, Team Kakashi was able to track him down thus leading them to Gaara, Temari offered to assist them, but Chiyo, another puppeteer as well as Sasori's grandmother went in her place.

Back in Konoha, Tsunade, not wanting to take any chances, decided to send Team Guy as backup for Team Kakashi.

While Team Kakashi tracked Sasori with the piece of clothing, the Akatsuki leader sent Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki to deal with Team Kakashi and the approaching Team Guy respectively.

In the forest, Naruto and Kakashi were able to defeat Itachi after some effort using one of Kakashi's clones and Naruto's new Big Ball Rasengan, whereas Team Guy was largely disabled by Kisame leaving Guy to fight Kisame alone, Guy emerged victorious by opening 6 of the 8 chakra gates to perform his Morning Peacock Technique which allowed him to pummel Kisame to death.

However, both Akatsuki members were actually entirely different people in disguise, they were made into weaker copies of those they were impersonating through the leader's Shapeshifting Technique.

Despite their victories, the 2 teams realized that their battles were merely distractions set up by the Akatsuki to allow them time to extract Shukaku from Gaara which would kill him if completed.

At the Akatsuki hideout, a barrier was blocking the entrance, directed by Kakashi, Team Guy removed the four seals maintaining the barrier but a failsafe created clones of them as a further distraction.

Ultimately, the many delaying tactics used by the Akatsuki proved successful when Kakashi, Naruto, Hinata, Sakura, and Chiyo found Deidara and Sasori guarding Gaara's lifeless body, this lead to Naruto entering tailed-beast rage state upon seeing Deidara sitting on the Kazekage's corpse, while Chiyo, Sakura, and Hinata fought Sasori, Deidara flew off on a clay bird with Gaara's body, with that, Naruto and Kakashi pursued.

At first, Hinata was worried, but Naruto assured her that he would be okay, so she stayed behind to help the others.

Although Sasori " wore " his puppet and controlled it from the inside, this style of puppeteer fighting proved to be futile against Chiyo and the others, by controlling Sakura like a puppet, Chiyo was able to use her as a distraction buying Hinata enough time to close in and demolish the puppet with one blow from her dagger.

With his first puppet destroyed, Sasori is revealed looking just as young as he did the day he left the village, he summoned another puppet to continue the fight: the Third Kazekage.

It is here that Sasori revealed that he not only killed the Third Kazekage, but actually made his body into a puppet as he had done to 297 others and planned on doing the same to Sakura and the others after his victory.

With it's unique Iron Sand ability mixed with Sasori's poison, the Kazekage puppet proved to be extremely dangerous, so Chiyo summoned 2 more puppets to fight it, these puppets were puppet versions of Sasori's parents which reminded him of them after they were killed by Sakumo Hatake early in his childhood, the puppets were left in the village when Sasori deserted it.

Using the iron sand and poison, the Kazekage puppet proved to be a tough enemy for them, but the antidotes Sakura had developed before departing from Sunagakure allowed them to continue the fight.

Sakura, having been trained by Tsunade to pick up the enemy's attack patters, and Hinata, having mastered the full power of her Byakugan, were both able to easily dodge Sasori's subsequent attacks and demolish the Kazekage puppet.

With another puppet lost, Sasori revealed he had made himself into a puppet as the secret of his youth.

In response, Chiyo used White Secret Technique: The Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets to summon Monzaemon Chikamatsu's ten masterpiece puppets.

To mock the display, Sasori used his Red Secret Technique: Performance of A Hundred Puppets to summon 100 of his human puppets.

During the fight between these puppets, Sakura used a chakra-sealing orb on Sasori, although it seemed successful at first, Sasori revealed another ability he had, as a puppet, not only did Sasori have numerous weapons to fight with, but he also could reassemble himself when destroyed which made him seem impossible to defeat.

However, it was revealed that the only part of him that remained alive, thus allowing him to use chakra, was his heart which contained a talisman labeled Sasori.

When trapped in a seal performed by four of Chikamatsu's puppets, Chiyo used the mother and father puppets to stab Sasori through his heart.

Despite the victory, Chiyo believed that Sasori allowed himself to be killed - he saw the attack coming but didn't react and died in a similar way to how his parents used to embrace him.

In the end, although Hinata escaped with only minor cuts and bruises, Chiyo, Sasori, and Sakura were seriously wounded, but Chiyo used a technique originally developed for Sasori to save Sakura's life, the technique uses the user's own life energy making it fatal to use in reanimating a puppet or the deceased, but Chiyo survived since Sakura was still alive.

Sasori's last words were that he had a spy in Orochimaru's ranks, whom he was supposed to meet in Kusagakure ten days later.

_Meanwhile with Deidara..._

While Sasori was preoccupied, Naruto and Kakashi were chasing after Deidara.

Kakashi activated his own version of the Mangekyo Sharingan and aimed to use it to take Deidara's head, however it was difficult to aim all Kakashi managed to take was Deidara's arm.

Deidara tried to retreat, but Naruto destroyed his clay bird with a Rasengan and retrieved Gaara's body.

Enraged and powered by the Nine-Tails, Naruto seemed to be defeating Deidara with Rasengan, but it turned out to be a clay clone.

Still enraged, Naruto, despite Kurama's warning, started to appear more feral as he transformed into his two-tailed form.

Kakashi recognized this as a bad sign and used a seal tag he had received from Jiraiya to stop the transformation from going any further, as a result, Naruto subsequently reverted back to his normal self.

As the other caught up with Naruto and Kakashi, Deidara found himself unable to escape so he swallowed some clay turning himself into a human bomb.

Neji saw this and warned everyone to take cover as Deidara swelled up and then exploded.

As the dust settled, Kakashi collapsed from exhaustion explaining that he used his Mangekyo Sharingan to send the explosion to another dimension.

With Naruto carrying Gaara's body, the two teams headed back to Sunagakure.

Stopping at a grassy field, Sakura checked on Gaara and pronounced him dead making Naruto very upset.

Chiyo moved towards Gaara and tried to use her reincarnation technique, but didn't have enough life force energy to bring him back to life, so Naruto gladly lent his own chakra and Chiyo was able to revive Gaara at the cost of her own life while the shinobi of Suna watched.

Back at the battlefield, Deidara emerged from the ground revealing that it was his clone that destroyed itself, then he went off looking for the right arm he lost.

After finding it, he encountered Tobi and Zetsu, a mysterious individual wishing to take Sasori's place in the Akatsuki.

Tobi's carefree attitude about Deidara's condition angered him, he then attempted to strangle Tobi in a comical fashion with his feet after one-too-many callous remarks.

After paying their respects to Chiyo and bidding Gaara and his siblings farewell, the Konoha shinobi headed for home.

Naruto stated that these situations were always a bit awkward right before Gaara extended his hand to him in gratitude.

Not sure how to react, a trail of sand wrapped itself around Naruto's hand and brought it to Gaara's.

As the group prepared to leave, Kakashi was still exhausted from overusing his Mangekyo Sharingan and had to be carried back by Guy who did so piggyback style as he found it easier to carry him for an extended period of time disturbing everyone present except Lee who remarked that Guy was training.

Lee the proceeded to offer to carry Neji who bluntly refused while Naruto and Hinata shared a kiss as they made their way back to Konoha.

End of Chapter 25.

Note: I know this chapter might be short, but the next one will be a lot more better so stay tuned.

See ya later!


	28. Note

Note.

To all my readers, I apologize for the lack of up dates.

But between college, household renovating, and prepping for the upcoming holidays, I've been too busy to write anything.

However, once things slow down a bit, I promise to update as soon as possible.

I will not abandon this story.

Thank you.


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